Recently, a federal lawsuit was filed against Amazon and T-Mobile, among others, for discriminating against older employees in violation of the Age Discrimination Employment Act (ADEA). According to the complaint, these companies posted recruitment advertisements on Facebook, a social media platform, which targeted only specific age groups.
Under the 1967 ADEA, workers that are 40 years of age and older are protected from workplace discrimination, which includes being denied an opportunity to work based on his or her age. According to the lawsuit, these companies were specifically targeting workers that are 26 to 35 years of age. After the complaint was filed, Amazon released a statement indicating that the advertisements were inconsistent with their approach of searching for candidates and that the advertisements had been corrected.
Even though Facebook is currently not named as a defendant in the lawsuit, Facebook has been referenced in the suit as using racial and age targeting discriminatory practices in the past. However, according to Facebook, these practices are not discriminatory, because it is the basis for their business model.
While today’s older workers have an immense amount of knowledge and experience to provide to companies, these individuals are often unfairly treated and excluded from opportunities as a result of their age. It is important for older workers to be aware that age discrimination in the workplace is not only common, but is also illegal.
Navigating the complexities of age discrimination in the workplace can be difficult. It is important that individuals who have faced age discrimination seek the guidance of an experienced employment discrimination lawyer. Steven Sack, “The Employee’s Lawyer,” has represented individuals alleging unfair employee discrimination for more than 37 years. Mr. Sack is knowledgeable in all aspects of employment law and fights zealously on behalf of his clients. For more information or to schedule a consultation, call (917) 371-8000 or email sms@StevenSack.com.
I didn’t realize that those over the age of 40 are protected under the law. It is nice to know that the law is looking out for those looking for work. If you are qualified, this shouldn’t be something that matters.
My brother feels as though he was let go from his previous job for being older. I had no idea that this was illegal. I might suggest he talk to a lawyer about it.