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Taking a look at age-based discrimination

On Behalf of | Jul 1, 2017 | Workplace Discrimination |

There are many different types of discrimination, some of which is based on an employee’s national origin, while other cases involve an employee’s gender. Unfortunately, in Santa Barbara, and other California cities, some employees and job applicants have suffered as a result of age discrimination. It is essential for employees and prospective employees to understand what constitutes unlawful age discrimination and take action if they believe it has occurred.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission says that it is against the law for a worker who is 40 years old or above 40 to experience discrimination on the basis of his or her age. In fact, it is illegal for a protected employee to experience severe harassment which leads to a negative employment-related outcome or a work environment that is hostile. Furthermore, employers are not allowed to fire or turn down employees’ applications solely because they are over the age of 40.

The United States Department of Labor states that employees and some of those who apply for jobs while 40 or older are protected from age discrimination under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967. Unfortunately, occurrences of age discrimination continue to appear across the country and some people are afraid to take action after experiencing it firsthand. For example, an older worker may fear that if they speak out and lose their position, they will be unable to find another job. However, retaliation is also not permitted, according to the law, and those who discriminate against workers cannot get away with their actions.

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