The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission recently announced that a septuagenarian receptionist would be awarded $78,000 in a settlement over alleged age discrimination and disability discrimination. The woman was allegedly fired from her job after a brief hospitalization, despite no previous complaints about her job performance before or afterwards. This suit is a sign of how employers can harm older employees with their employment decisions, even against employees who are effective in their roles.
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A major law firm has been accused of engaging in unlawful age discrimination by two former information technology (IT) workers in a new lawsuit filed in Illinois federal court. The suit alleges that they were forced out of their positions in favor of younger workers despite the ability and willingness to continue in their roles. They are seeking justice for the harm done to their careers as a result of losing their jobs, as well as lost wages and other compensation. Continue reading “Law Firm Accused of Age Discrimination Against IT Workers”
Age discrimination is a serious problem that results in many older workers being deprived of benefits, raises, or promotions they have earned through their hard work. Even workers as young as 40 may experience the effects of age discrimination, getting pushed out of their jobs in favor of younger workers. Here are seven reasons employers engage in age discrimination against their older workers:
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Age discrimination is a surprisingly common phenomenon, one that unfairly harms workers all across the United States. When people are the victims of this type of discrimination, they can potentially lose income, time, or business opportunities for no reason other than their age. But what exactly is age discrimination, and how do you know what it is when it is happening?
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Age discrimination is not discussed as often as other types of discrimination, but it is no less damaging for people and their careers. When employers choose to discriminate against their older employees, they can cause substantial harm to them and their career prospects. Here are five signs of age discrimination you may want to watch out for if you are 40 or older:
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A British court has ruled that an employer discriminated against a young woman for being too young, under the U.K. Equality Act. The law, unlike equivalent legislation in the United States, prohibits all forms of age discrimination, whether against older employees or younger ones. Typically, age discrimination laws only protect older workers from being discriminated against, but some hope the U.S. might extend similar protections to younger workers as well. Continue reading “U.K. Court Rules Woman Was Discriminated Against for Being Too Young”
Steven Mitchell Sack, “The Employee’s Lawyer,” was interviewed by Forbes.com for an article on whether the United States would update its age discrimination laws to match those of The Equality Act in the United Kingdom, which permits younger workers to sue employers for age discrimination. Mr. Sack said such a law would be difficult to implement.
“While it’s a great question in theory, an expanded law will never happen because it’s illogical and impractical in practice,” Mr. Sack said. “Protecting a 28-year-old from age discrimination is silly. It’s hard enough to prove it when you have a 60-year-old, unless you have substantial proof.”
To read the article, click here.
Barnes and Noble, the bookstore chain with locations around the country, is facing a possible class action lawsuit from employees who claim they were fired due to their age. The lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court in Northern California, accuses the chain of deliberately purging the company of older workers in an attempt at cutting costs. The lawsuit blames the age discrimination in part on Elliott Management Corp., a hedge fund that took control of Barnes and Noble in August. Continue reading “Lawsuit Claims Barnes and Noble “Purged” Older Workers”
Prospective employers, under law, cannot ask a prospective job applicant such questions as “How old are you?” “Aren’t you a little old to apply for this job?” or “What year were you born?” This applies to companies accepting online applications.
Placing a question about the job seeker’s date of birth or year of graduation from college may be illegal because it allows the interviewer to dismiss the applicant on the basis he or she is “too old” or “overqualified.”
Continue reading “The Employees Lawyer Weighs in on Age Discrimination in the Workplace”
Interviewing for a job can be nerve-wracking. While the complexities of the interview process can deter your attention away from essential legal concepts, it is important to be attentive to what the interviewer is asking, especially in a legal sense. Potential employers should understand what they can and cannot ask of an applicant, but some may fail to recognize the severity of asking a discriminatory question. Questions along the following lines should always be avoided:
Continue reading “The Job Interview: Questions that are Necessary and Questions that are Off-limits”
