I’m sorry to hear about your recent termination. If you think you were discriminated against in the workplace because of your age, you should contact an attorney with significant experience in age discrimination cases. Age discrimination can be hard to prove, and an experienced attorney can be very valuable to your case.
Not all age discrimination is illegal. First, an employee or a job applicant over the age of 40 must have been discriminated against in the workplace in hiring, firing, or promotions because the employee or applicant was too old. It is not illegal to discriminate against someone younger than 40 on the basis of age. The employee or applicant must have been negatively affected by the discrimination. Also, in some cases age discrimination is legal – jobs involving public safety and federal government positions are exempt from age discrimination laws.
Age discrimination can be very difficult to prove, especially if the company has only taken negative actions against a few older workers. If, however, the company has a widespread pattern of laying off older workers or refusing to hire older job applicants, the case may be easier to prove. Some common examples of age discrimination are when older workers are laid off and replaced by younger workers, when older workers are encouraged to retire, when applicants are not hired because of their age, or when workers are teased or harassed about their age at work.
If you believe that you have been discriminated against in the workplace because of your age, you should speak with an attorney. Call me, Conal Doyle, Los Angeles employment attorney at 310-385-0567. My team may be able to help. Call today to learn more or to schedule a free consultation.