It's not often for employers to see 75-year-old men and women looking for work, but when senior citizens do apply for a job it's important that they are treated fairly and not discriminated against based on their age. The federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) makes it illegal for employers to discriminate against both employees and job applicants who are 40 years of age and older based on their age. People over the age of 40 who do experience age discrimination in the workplace shouldn't hesitate to call a Houston employment lawyer.
The Arizona Daily Sun reports that a 75-year-old woman from Sedona, Arizona experienced alleged age discrimination at her job and got a $35,000 settlement out of it. Gloria N. Rose claimed that Red Rock Western Jeep Tours, Inc. fired her after only two days of work because of her age.
A complaint alleged that Ms. Rose applied to be a reservationist with the tour company and was asked to fill out forms in a "new hire" packet. Arizona Daily Sun reports that a supervisor then asked Ms. Rose how old she was after returning the form and told her that she wasn't "the right person" for the position. Ms. Rose then questioned the supervisor via e-mail and was hired for the position for two days, but was then terminated even though she didn't receive full training. Ms. Rose was then replaced by an 18-year-old employee.
Mary Jo O'Neill, an employment lawyer with the U.S Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in Phoenix said in a press release, "Some employers seem to be tempted to hire younger workers for jobs which entail interacting with the public on behalf of the company. However, a company that fails to hire or terminates qualified workers because of their age does so at its peril because such actions may be unlawful."
Related Resources:
- Equal Employment Opportunity: Age Discrimination (FindLaw)
- Age Discrimination Standard Changed by Supreme Court (FindLaw's Free Enterprise blog)
- See a Houston Employment Lawyer (FindLaw)
ShareThis
