In the workplace, you need to remain vigilant and address any violations of your rights promptly. Employee rights violations take many forms, from denied overtime to sexual harassment. It is also important for workers to recognize discrimination, whether they experience unlawful mistreatment because of their racial background or due to their age.
Age discrimination occurs in many different ways. Going over examples of age discrimination can help victims recognize illegal mistreatment. Some victims worry about retaliation if they speak out, while others never even identify violations in the first place.
Workers over 40 are protected from age discrimination
According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act protects workers who are 40 and older. This law does not protect workers under the age of 40, and it applies to employers who have at least 20 employees. Moreover, it is not against the law for employers to show preference to an older worker in comparison to a younger staff member, regardless of the younger worker’s age.
Age discrimination takes various forms
The EEOC provides different examples of illegal age discrimination. For example, an employer cannot fire, refuse to hire, lay off, cut pay or deny benefits to a worker over 40 because of their age. Some people do not realize that age discrimination often occurs during the hiring process, which can have a devastating impact on qualified applicants looking for work.
Some older workers also experience severe harassment because of their age, leading to a hostile work environment, which the law also prohibits. If you have experienced discrimination, you should not stay silent.
