Topics
HR Support on Avoiding Age Discrimination Issues
Editor's Note: Beware of age discrimination in hiring and employment practices.
Overview: While the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) only protects individuals who are 40 years of age and older from employee discrimination, some state laws, such as those in New York, New Jersey and the District of Columbia, protect individuals who are 18 and older from age discrimination. Age discrimination often arises when individuals receive unfair treatment in the workplace because of the mistaken belief that an older individual will not perform as well. As a result of this, an employer should avoid any preemployment inquiries or employment decisions that are based solely on an individual's age, and be careful about neutral workplace rules and practices that negatively affect older workers. Further, the issue of age discrimination also comes into play when considering the issue of retirement age.
An employer should recognize that it is permissible to differentiate on the basis of age if age is a bona fide occupational qualification. For example, an employer can discriminate based on age if individuals of a certain job cannot perform the essential job functions in a safe manner.
Employers should also be aware of the fact that there are special requirements with regard to the waiver of ADEA claims in settlement agreements and releases under the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act.
Trends: Employers should be aware that the EEOC recently issued a new rule which will make it harder for employers to establish that policies that discriminate based on age were justified based on a legitimate business reason and based on a reasonable factor other than age. It will require employers to show that they have a stated business purpose as well as that the employer considered and sought to reduce the impact of the policy on older workers.
Employers also may reasonably anticipate a greater number of age discrimination lawsuits with the aging Baby Boomer population.
Beth P. Zoller, J.D., Legal Editor
Latest items in Age Discrimination
-
Involuntary Terminations
In-depth review of the spectrum of federal legal requirements HR must follow when terminating an employee.
-
Supreme Court Poised to Consider Additional Basis for Age Discrimination Claims
The Supreme Court may soon resolve a split among the appeals courts as to whether filing a charge under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is the sole remedy for state and local government employees claiming age discrimination. See Madigan v. Levin, Docket No. 12-872, 2013 U.S. LEXIS 2238 (March 19, 2013). In doing so, it will decide whether the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals was wrong when it held that state and local employees can proceed directly to court on an age discrimination claim based on the equal protection claims under the Fourteenth Amendment via 42 U.S.C. § 1983, (Section 1983) instead of filing an ADEA charge.
-
Transportation Resource Center for HR: Discrimination and Harassment
XpertHR's Transportation Resource Center for HR: Discrimination and Harassment helps transportation industry employers handle their most vexing employment issues by bringing relevant resources together in one place for easy access.
-
Involuntary Terminations: California
In-depth review of the spectrum of California employment law requirements HR must follow with respect to involuntary terminations.
-
EEOC Statistics Show Retaliation Still Top Workplace Concern
On January 28, 2013, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released fiscal year 2012 statistics on employment discrimination charges filed with the agency. Retaliation (37,836) was the most frequently filed claim, followed by race discrimination (33,512) and sex discrimination (30,356), which includes sexual harassment and pregnancy discrimination. Retaliation charges remain a top concern for employers and have since 2010, accounting for 38.1% of all charges in 2012.
-
11th Circuit Rules Cat's Paw Theory Not Applicable in Age Discrimination Cases
In Sims v. MVM, Inc., the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals determined that the cat's paw theory of liability does not apply to the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA).
-
Highlights of 2012 HR Happenings
The 2012 election, the Supreme Court's health care ruling and the infamous fiscal cliff certainly provide plenty of implications for employers. But there were a host of other developments that flew under the radar and merited HR's attention.
-
The Reasonable Factor Other Than Age Defense Under the ADEA
This legal insight analyzes Supreme Court precedent on the Reasonable Factor Other Than Age Defense and a new EEOC rule that makes it harder for employers to establish the RFOA defense in a disparate impact discrimination claim under the ADEA.
-
Age Discrimination Remains Target for EEOC in Recent Cases
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission remains focused on eliminating age discrimination. In 2012, the agency was very active, and in many instances victorious, in bringing age discrimination lawsuits against employers.
-
New Efforts to Address Age Discrimination in the Workplace
In light of recent EEOC court victories and a reintroduction of the Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act in the Senate, employers should implement policies and practices aimed at preventing age discrimination.
About this topic
HR guidance on policies and practices to combat age discrimination in the workplace.