Age Discrimination in New York
What’s that cliché, it’s never too old to work? Although many of us may disagree with working well into our twilight years, age discrimination is an all too common issue.
Whatever an individual’s reason for entering or remaining in the work force at an older age may be, employees should know that there are New York City, New York State and federal laws in place to protect against age discrimination during employment, and also in the job application process.
So what exactly does age discrimination entail? It can take many forms including:
• You didn't get hired because the employer wanted a younger-looking person to do the job.
• You received a negative job evaluation based on your age
• You were fired or demoted because your company thought it was too costly to train older employees
• You were turned down for a promotion, which went to someone younger hired from outside the company, because the boss says the company "needs new blood."
• When company layoffs are announced, most of the persons laid off were older, while younger workers with less seniority and less on-the-job experience were kept on.
• Before you were fired, your supervisor made age-related remarks about you, such as that you were "over-the-hill," or "ancient."
Age discrimination in the workplace is governed by the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) at the federal level. New York City and New York State have their own laws that prohibits age discrimination. Whether or not an individual employer does so is another issue.
The reality is that the overwhelming majority of age discrimination suits are because an employee or applicant feels their older, rather than younger age is causing them to experience some sort of discrimination. Luckily, we are here to make sure your legal rights in this situation are asserted.
