Employers in the United States are told not to ask job applicants whether they are married, have children or are pregnant. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission says that questions about marital status and children “are frequently used to discriminate against women.” It also lists questions about pregnancy, marriage plans and “child care arrangements.”
Federal law does not ban these questions outright. But an employer who asks them before hiring may find the questions “regarded as evidence of intent to discriminate.” After a job offer has been made and accepted, an employer may ask such questions, for example for insurance purposes.