There are a lot of bad perceptions about older employees out there. Some individuals believe that an older person is inherently tech-illiterate or incapable of swiftly grasping new concepts. The fact is that older workers typically bring a lifetime of expertise to the table, which can be highly beneficial to a business. If it isn’t enough to persuade a corporation to collaborate with them, the fact that age discrimination is illegal should enough.
Read on to learn what the law says about age discrimination and then contact The Law Offices of Larry H. Parker at 800-333-0000 to request a free legal consultation if you believe you have been a victim of it.
In 1967, the transformations began
Prior to President Lyndon B. Johnson signing the ADEA in 1967, many employment advertisements said that no one above the age of 45 should apply. According to the Department of Labor, this rendered half of all job seekers ineligible for these positions, contributing to the high unemployment rates at the time. Indeed, they discovered that 40% of long-term jobless adults were 45 or older.
In the 1950s and 1960s, some states implemented workplace age discrimination legislation, but the country desperately needed a federal law to protect all employees. Employers that violate the ADEA are still punished and subjected to additional penalties fifty years after it was enacted. In fact, more than 21,000 age discrimination cases were filed in 2015.
Discrimination based on age is still a problem
In comparison to the ordinary American 50 years ago, today’s American has a longer life expectancy and cannot always rely on Social Security or retirement payments to see them through. As a result, folks are staying at work later than they were previously. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median age of an American worker will be 43 by 2020.
People calling age discrimination attorneys were often in their 40s or 50s when the ADEA was originally established. They are being harassed and bullied at work, or being discriminated against in the employment process, now that they are in their 60s, 70s, and even 80s. According to studies, a jobless worker aged 55 or older takes more than 10 weeks longer to find work than a younger candidate.
Furthermore, according to an AARP survey from 2013, roughly 67 percent of workers between the ages of 45 and 74 had witnessed or experienced age discrimination. Despite other government safeguards, including as the Family and Medical Leave Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act, which protect elderly with accidents or health concerns, this is the case.
We strongly advise you to consult a labor attorney if you have been the victim of age discrimination. For a free legal consultation, call The Law Offices of Larry H. Parker at 800-333-0000.
