What is age discrimination?
If you are 40 years of age or older, and you have been harmed by a decision affecting your employment, you may have suffered unlawful age discrimination. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) is a federal law that protects individuals 40 years of age or older from employment discrimination. The ADEA protects individuals who are 40 years of age or older from employment discrimination based on age. The Older Workers Benefit Protection Act of 1990 (OWBPA) amended the ADEA to specifically prohibit employers from denying benefits to older employees. While an older worker is also covered by several other workplace laws, these are the main federal laws, which specifically protect older workers against discrimination based on age.
The federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) protects individuals who are 40 years of age and older from discrimination because of their age. Many ADEA cases involve older employees who were fired and replaced by younger employees because the employer wants to save money on salaries or benefits. Other examples of age discrimination: an older employee is passed up for a promotion that is then given to a less qualified, younger person; or, an older employee is subjected to frequent age-related comments before being fired or demoted. In the District of Columbia, the D.C. Human Rights Act protects all persons age 18 and older from discrimination based on age.
As related to the workplace, age discrimination is the practice of excluding applicants for hire or promotion based on the age of the individual. Often associated with ageism, age discrimination is an approach that takes the focus off skill levels and job competency, and places emphasis on the calendar age of the individual. Here is some information about the two main types of age discrimination, and how this sort of practice can result in a negative impact for both the employer and the employee. While many people think in terms of age discrimination as it relates to older employees, the fact is that ageism may involve a young employee as well. Age bias has to do with thinking that the calendar age of the individual will in some manner limit the ability of the individual to perform his or her work responsibilities effectively. While there are legal age limits that prohibit persons under a certain age from entering the full time job market, age limitations that are imposed to prevent a
If you are 40 years of age or older, and you have been harmed by a decision affecting your employment, you may have suffered unlawful age discrimination. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) is a federal law that protects individuals 40 years of age or older from employment discrimination based on age. Here are some examples of potentially unlawful age discrimination: • You didn’t get hired because the employer wanted a younger looking person to do the job. • You received a negative job evaluation because you weren’t “flexible” in taking on new projects. • You were fired because your boss wanted to keep younger workers who are paid less. • You were turned down for a promotion, which went to someone younger hired from outside the company, because the boss says the company “needs new blood.” • When company layoffs are announced, most of the persons laid off were older, while younger workers with less seniority and less on-the-job experience were kept on. • Before you were fire
