Can my manager ask me for my birthday and my age, and then threaten to go to HR to find out when I refuse?

Steve Duggan replies:

So long as he or she has a legitimate need to know for work-related purposes, there is nothing wrong with asking an employee for date of birth, and therefore age. There is nothing particularly private about this information. It is disclosed on employment applications and in other records of the employer, and certainly would be available from HR at the manager’s request so long as there is a valid reason.

Posted 10-18-2016

Information here is correct at the time it is posted. Case decisions cited here may be reversed. Please do not rely on this information without consulting an attorney first.