Age Discrimination at Work
Posted by robert ottinger on Fri, Mar 05, 2010 @ 10:47 PM
What is Age Discrimination?Age discrimination laws protect employees who are age 40 or above from employment discrimination based on age. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA) prohibits employment discrimination against employees over 40 years of age. The ADEA is a federal law that applies to employers with 20 or more employees. Most states and cities also have their own laws which prohibit age discrimination. Under these laws, it is illegal to discriminate against a person because of their age with respect to any term, condition or privilege of employment, including termination, hiring, promotion, compensation, benefits, or work assignments.
Age discrimination is often difficult to detect and companies have become adept at hiding it. Here are some examples of age discrimination at work:
- Younger people who are less qualified than older employers are provided with higher compensation.
- During downsizing, older workers are selected for termination before younger employees.
- Older employees are given unwarranted negative performance reviews in order to provide a basis for termination.
- The company refuses to train older workers or assist in their long term development while providing training to younger workers.
- Younger workers are hired instead of older workers in order to keep a younger workforce and project a younger image.
- Younger less experienced and qualified applicants are selected over older more experienced and more qualified applicants.
- The company systematically replaces older workers with younger employees.
If you believe that you have been discriminated against because of your age, you should contact an employment lawyer. The Ottinger Firm has been practicing employment law for over 10 years and we provide a free initial case review. Please call us at 866-571-5010.