Why are women removing their wedding rings in job interviews?

All candidates want to make the very best first impression they can in a job interview, from ensuring they’re smartly dressed to having read up on the company they’re applying to.

However, it seems as of female candidates are going one step further in their quest, as a report from Credit Angel found that one third of women remove their wedding or engagement rings in job interviews.

Despite the fact it’s illegal, not to mention unethical, to ask questions around a candidate’s marital state in a job interview, candidates obviously still feel as if wearing their rings would somehow negatively impact on their chances.

In fact, 29% of married women admit to worrying over losing their jobs purely because they’re married – with applicant thinking their ring will signify children and maternity leave in their near future.

An earlier version of a similar study, from comparejewellery.com, found that 35% of women remove their wedding rings at work, 29% take them off in interviews and 22% remove wedding and engagement rings when out socializing.

“It seems that a fair few women in the UK are ‘ring removers’,” added Ali O’Neill from comparejewellery.com, “but the reasons why were incredibly interesting – with fear about the connotations that the ring holds when it comes to employment prospects being the most common factor.

“Even in modern times, many women still firmly believe that they are pigeon-holed by their relationship status – fearing fewer opportunities should they be viewed as likely to swan off to start a family, and so take their ring off to avoid this happening.”