Older woman working

How to Identify Age Discrimination in the Workplace

Now more than ever, employees are working well past retirement age. This could be because they did not save enough for retirement when they were younger, because they enjoy staying busy and being part of a work environment, or other reasons. No matter the reason, age discrimination at the workplace should not be tolerated.

What is Age Discrimination?

Age discrimination is when a person is thought less of because of their age — this could apply to someone who is seen as “too old” or “too young.” However, in the workplace, it is usually the former that is prevalent when it comes to employees not being treated the same way as their coworkers.

Examples of Age Discrimination

Age discrimination does not necessarily manifest for everyone in a company to see. Usually, it is identified by the employee being discriminated against and the manager or supervisor who may or may not realize that they’re discriminating.

Examples of age discrimination include:

  • Singling out the employee: If all employees participate in something that supervisors may see as “cutting corners,” but only the older employee is reprimanded for the action, that could be a sign of age discrimination.
  • Cutting responsibilities: If an employee has never had any issues with their job performance and all of a sudden their supervisor is removing responsibilities from the employee for no good reason, the employee could be facing age discrimination.
  • Denying advancement opportunities: Even if an employee is older, they should be given the same advancement opportunities as their coworkers. Supervisors may disregard an older employee’s qualifications, thinking that the employee may not be with the company much longer due to retirement.

How to Prove Age Discrimination

Documentation is key when it comes to proving age discrimination. The moment an employee feels they may be being discriminated against, they should take personal notes as well as request their personnel information.

If an older employee is denied a promotion to a younger employee, they should have notes from their supervisor on why they weren’t chosen for the position. Any reprimands from supervisors should also be kept for potential proof in the future.

If you believe you have an age discrimination case, contact Bullman Law Firm. Our lawyers focus on workplace discrimination and have helped employees get compensated for their potential lost wages. Contact us today to schedule your free case review.

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