Common signs of age discrimination at work

On Behalf of | Oct 30, 2020 | employee rights |

Older employees can bring a wealth of experience to the California companies that they work for. However, employers may perceive older employers as out of touch or simply trying to bide time before they finally retire. Regardless of what a company may think about its workers, it is illegal to demote, terminate or make other employment decisions based on a person’s age.

How do you know that age discrimination is occurring?

It can be difficult to conclusively prove that you have been the victim of age discrimination. However, there are various lines of evidence that you can use to bolster your assertion that discrimination has taken place. For instance, if managers tend to refer to younger employees as energetic while referring to older employees as stubborn, it might be a sign of who they prefer to work with. Managers may also make rude remarks about your physical health or crack jokes about your impending retirement.

Your responsibilities may change over time

Most competent managers realize that they can’t terminate or demote their employees solely because of their age. However, your manager may take steps such as reassigning large projects in an effort to get you to quit out of frustration. Taking away a large project or other important responsibilities may also be used to justify the assertion that you aren’t able capable of doing your job any longer.

Generally speaking, workers who are 40 or older are protected by federal age discrimination laws, and it may be possible to take legal action against companies that violate the law. An attorney may be able to help you obtain compensation for lost wages and other damages related to a wrongful termination. Manager statements, copies of job postings and other evidence might be used to prove that you were a victim of unlawful discrimination at work.