Fair Employment In Northern Ireland
As many of you know, I’m in the process of looking for a new job. I’m currently breaking out in blotches at the sight of application forms and trying to ‘tweak’ my history to fit the job I’m applying for.
Anyway, I’ve been filling out another application form this evening, and the Equal Opportunities/Fair Employment declaration has me cornered from all sides. Basically I’ve got to get off the damn fence and identify myself as a Protestant or a Catholic.
First off, I’ve got to choose from five different shades of white. Of the two that are applicable, I’m either Irish White or British White. Right, I can understand racial profiling to a degree, but isn’t that splitting hairs a bit too much?
So, on the basis of technically being a UK resident, I choose British White. But it doesn’t feel right. Nor does Irish White for that matter. They’re both…well, they’re both a bit foreign….
Anyway, on to the old question of religion. Am I a Prod or a Taig? Neither, I answer with confidence, having shrugged off the God factor a long time ago.
But wait! What’s this extra question? They want to know what primary school I went to? For God’s sake leave me alone! I just want to be an ordinary white (Northern Irish White, thank you) athiest bloke. Why do they want to bring my primary school into it?
So, even though I’ve tried my best to be good ol’ neutral me, this form is insisting I take a side. I don’t want to take a damn side, I’ve avoided it all my life so far! Well, Saint Patrick’s Primary School might be a bit of a give away, but what choice do I have?
Anyone else think Irish White/British White is a step too far in the campaign for equality of employment?
