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What the EEOC says about Ageism

“How long am I going to be able to work in my field?” “How long before my position is take and given to a younger version of me?” “Am I viewed differently and less effective due to my age?” “Will I be overlooked for promotions?” Many professionals ask questions like these after reaching the age of 50-55. Some of these questions are well founded. Ageism does exist and is there a way to fight against it? Ageism is a form of discrimination and prejudice particularly based on a person’s age. Age discrimination (or ageism) is not typically recognized by the court until the age of 40.

With the rate of unemployed Americans increasing, the competition for obtaining jobs and maintaining jobs has become more evident. In the past it was an advantage to be loyal to a company or an organization and to “grow” with the company. Many companies, in fact, rewarded longevity in employees by bonuses after reaching certain employment anniversaries.

Seniority was a term of prestige and respect, an earned badge of loyalty. However, in today’s society that is no longer the case. Often regardless of the experience, performance qualifications, and longevity of employment within a company a person can still be wrongfully terminated based on their age. Sometimes age is only a result of acquiring attributes as such listed above and with those come a higher cost of compensation.

With more experience, and the qualifications of the job and older person can often require a higher paying salary. However, companies can higher a younger person that is right out of school and pay them a lot less money to do the same job.

If you feel that you have been wrongfully terminated because of your age, contact the Teal & Montgomery employment lawyers to evaluate your case. Call Santa Rosa Office: 707-525-1212 or Sacramento Office: 916-448-1010 for a free consultation today.