A job ad posted by a Canadian company has sparked outrage after it specifically requested female candidates.
The ad, which has since been removed from LinkedIn, was looking for a content writer and SEO specialist for Vestra Inet, a web development company.
As well as requiring a varied skill set, including writing talent, computer knowledge and a “knowledge of Russian”, the job description had an interesting postscript.
It said: “Please note that the position requires filling in the responsibilities of a receptionist, so female candidates are preferred.”
The company has since apologised, saying that they are “a company that believes in promoting diversity” but the ad has been deemed sexist by incensed social media users.
One Twitter user said: “WTF?!? Apparently [Vestra Inet] is stuck in 1955. Maybe someone should tell them about the Human Rights Act.”
Another asked: “So how are female candidates more suited to reception jobs? Go on, here’s a shovel.”
And Jessica Oman, a business plan adviser on LinkedIn, labelled the ad as “disgusting,” “outdated” and “illegal.”
The post violates the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s stance on workplace discrimination, which states that it is illegal to discriminate against groups, either directly or indirectly, in job advertisements.
