The Age Discrimination in Employment Act was signed into law in 1967. This groundbreaking piece of legislation provided a vital step forward in protecting workers against discrimination and harassment because of their age.
Specifically, the law protects people who are 40 years old or older against mistreatment and adverse employment actions based solely on their age. Although age discrimination has been unlawful for more than 50 years, age discrimination is still a very real and prevalent problem in workplaces across the United States.
Employers that do engage in age discrimination may harbor a bias that older workers aren’t able to perform certain duties or adapt to new technologies as younger workers. As a result, they may try to edge older employees toward retirement or terminate them outright.
There are some telltale signs that you may be a victim of age discrimination. If you have experienced one or more of these, consider reaching out to an attorney at Haeggquist & Eck for a free consultation:
1. Your Employer is Calling You Names Based on Your Age
The most obvious sign that your employer is discriminating against you because of your age is if your employer calls you names based on your age, such as geezer, boomer, or makes other comments based on your age.
2. Your Employer Continuously Asks You When You Are Retiring
If your employer continuously asks you when you are retiring, or tries to encourage or force you to retire, this can be another sign of age discrimination.
3. Your Employer Comments About Your Inability to Do Your Work Because of Your Age
If your employer comments that you are not performing as well, or not able to do your work duties because of your age, this may be a sign of age discrimination. e.
4. Your Employer Is Firing Other Older Workers
If your employer is firing older workers, or encouraging them to retire, and deliberately replacing them with much younger employees, this could be a sign of age discrimination.
Think You Are a Victim of Age Discrimination? We Can Help.
Haeggquist & Eck, LLP can provide legal assistance to employees who believe they are victims of age discrimination. As advocates for workers who experience all forms of discrimination, we recognize the need for those who have been discriminated against based on age to pursue legal action against employers who violated their rights.
We are Southern California’s preeminent law firm for employment rights and our lawyers can advocate on your behalf. Learn more about what we can do for you by reaching out to us for a free initial consultation.
Get in touch with us online or call (619) 342-8000 today to receive a free consultation to discuss your situation.