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ARTICLE · 09 FEBRUARY 2012

Interviewing The Pawn Stars Way

Fisher Phillips LLP
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Viewers of the popular television show "Pawn Stars" (The History Channel) know that recently the owner, Rick Harrison, and his father, "the old man," have been interviewing applicants for the night shift.

United StatesEmployment and HR
James Holland
James Holland
Michael Mitchell
Michael Mitchell
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(Labor Letter, February 2012)

Viewers of the popular television show "Pawn Stars" (The History Channel) know that recently the owner, Rick Harrison, and his father, "the old man," have been interviewing applicants for the night shift. Here is their exchange when the old man sat in on one of the interviews:

Old Man: [to the applicant] "Are you married, son?"
Rick: [to his dad] "You're not allowed to ask that kind of stuff."
Old Man: "Why not?"
Rick: "That's just the laws. Do you understand that?"
Old Man: "I just want to know if he's got kids running around, if he's responsible."
Rick: "You can ask him questions but they have to be pertinent to the job."
Old Man: "If he's got kids it's pertinent to the job, for he needs to feed 'em."

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