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What should you know about age-related workplace discrimination?

On Behalf of | Oct 19, 2021 | workplace discrimination |

When you hear about workplace discrimination, it is likely that several types of specific discrimination come to mind. Racial and sexual discrimination rank among the most discussed types of discrimination at work, but they are not the only types.

Age-related discrimination is also a big issue, and as time goes on, it seems to grow more prominent and cause more problems for workers across the country.

What is ADEA?

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission examines the existence of age-related discrimination at work. Workers over 40 years of age have protection under the Age Discrimination Employment Act (ADEA), which ensures that workers in this age bracket do not face discrimination due to age.

Discrimination can occur in many areas of employment, such as job assignments, promotions, hiring, firing, pay, benefits, training, layoff and anything else related to the job in question. For example, an employer cannot pass over an employee for a promotion simply because they are “too old”.

What is age-related harassment?

It is also illegal to harass someone due to their age. Examples of harassment include derogatory remarks centering around a person’s age, occurring with enough frequency and intensity to create a hostile work environment or result in adverse employment decisions. Such decisions may include a victim ending up fired or demoted due to the harassment they face.

A harasser may be a victim’s co-worker, superior or supervisor. However, victims can also take action against clients or customers who discriminate against them for age-related reasons. Anyone considering pursuing compensation due to the harassment they underwent at work may want to get in touch with an attorney to learn more about what to do next.