Job applicant says interviewer rejected them after revealing anxiety; advised to contact EEOC

An unidentified job applicant said they were not hired after disclosing a history of anxiety during an interview. "They told me they didn't wanna hire me because they didn't wanna deal with that," the applicant said.

A companion in the exchange told the applicant the conduct may violate federal law and pointed to the Americans with Disabilities Act as a potential safeguard. "There's the Americans with Disabilities Act that says employers can't discriminate workers with disabilities, and I think anxiety might be an ADA disability," the companion said, adding that employers are generally not allowed to ask medical questions during interviews.

The companion advised the applicant to contact the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) for more information and offered to send the agency's contact details. "You should reach out to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission," they said. "They'll tell you more about your rights."

The conversation was informal and did not record whether the applicant filed a formal complaint or whether an employer provided a response. The applicant accepted the offer to receive the EEOC contact information.