A Washington Post opinion piece highlights a recent research study which shows that the majority of workers over the age of 50 have been shoved out of a job at some point in their lives.
It’s particularly noticeable in industries such as Hollywood, where the average of females is 34 years old, and the tech industry, where companies like IBM have faced a number of lawsuits for age discrimination.
Why, then, isn’t more being done to combat age discrimination? Perhaps it’s because the standard for proving age discrimination is difficult to prove. It’s rare that an employer says they fired someone because of the person’s age; rather, the proof comes through indirect evidence. The standard for proving an age case in federal court, though, requires the employee prove that he or she would not have been fired “but for” his or her age. This is a difficult standard for an employee to prove without direct evidence.
There’s also very little pressure on elected officials to review the current standard and improve the burden for employees. This is true despite that older generations vote at a higher percentage than younger generations.
More can be done to combat age discrimination, and it starts with employees who believe they have been the victims of discrimination speaking up. If you believe you have been the victim of age discrimination, please consider contacting the lawyers at the Bullman Law Firm. We represent workers, not employers. Our number is (503) 987-0000. There is no charge for your call.
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