Are You Experiencing Age Discrimination at Work?
Although federal law prohibits employers from discriminating against workers who are 40 or older, it still happens to this day. It can be challenging to go to work every day when you’re faced with this type of mistreatment. It’s important to recognize the signs of age discrimination and take prompt action.
Here are a few signs that you may be experiencing age discrimination at work.
Your Employer Has Only Been Hiring Younger Workers Lately
If you’re considered an older worker, you may find it disheartening if your employer seems to be hiring much younger people lately. Some employers may specifically be looking for younger employees because they believe they are more technologically inclined and can work faster. This is a form of age discrimination.
You Haven’t Been Receiving Challenging Assignments
Another way employers may discriminate against older workers is by purposely removing challenging projects from the workload. Employers may think older workers are less capable of handling challenging assignments. Some older workers may become bored and frustrated and ultimately quit their jobs.
Your Boss Has Made Age-Related Comments
It’s not never acceptable to make age-related comments in the workplace, but some employers do it anyway. For example, if your boss told you that he or she is surprised that you know how to use that technology at your age, it may be considered discrimination. Dealing with these comments on a regular basis can make your work environment more hostile.
You’re Getting Left Out
It never feels good to get left out, especially in the workplace. Unfortunately, this is another way some employers discriminate against older workers. They might not invite them to meetings or allow them to make any decisions. Employers may also encourage other workers to limit their communications with older employees.
You’re Being Encouraged to Retire
In some companies, employers may offer older employees early retirement packages to get them out the door. Some of these packages may be quite generous, making it difficult for workers to turn down. If you’ve recently been encouraged to retire early, you may be facing age discrimination.
You’re Being Unfairly Disciplined
No matter the industry, all workers should be treated the same. If you find to be disciplined more harshly than your younger co-workers for similar mistakes, you could be the victim of age discrimination.
If you believe you’re the victim of age discrimination, contact an employment litigation lawyer, like one from Eric Siegel Law.