Age Discrimination

With the tightening job market, discrimination – particularly based on age – is becoming more common.  However, age discrimination is illegal to the extent it violates the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, which protects workers from any type of different or discriminatory treatment based on age. An employer who violates this act is subject to fines and can be held liable to compensate that employee.

Discrimination by Age

Like race and sex, age is the result of nature instead of your free choice. Age discrimination attacks your sense of self-worth in a way similar to race and gender discrimination. Age discrimination is defined as a “systematic stereotyping of and discrimination against people because they are old, just as racism and sexism accomplish this with skin color and gender.”

Examples Age Discrimination

Examples of unlawful harassment and discrimination because of age include:

• Denial of employment because someone is considered “too old”
• Hiring another candidate just because they are younger
• Denial of training, education, or other benefits to older people
• Reduction in forces/layoffs that disproportionately affect older people
• Making jokes or unwanted comments on the basis of age
• Assignment of undesirable or demeaning tasks to older employees only
• Lower pay for the same work
• Making a job more difficult to encourage someone to quit

Any termination that affects older employees disproportionately than younger workers, or policies that provide educational benefits or training only to younger employees are also discriminatory.

If you believe that you have been the victim of age discrimination, contact Dejban Law either electronically or by phone so that we can determine if you have a case and if we can represent you.