Age discrimination may not be overt in the workplace. Your boss likely won’t tell you that you’re being fired because you just had your 50th birthday and they don’t want anyone in your age bracket working at the business. Doing so would clearly be age discrimination, which is illegal.
But just making discrimination illegal doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. In many cases, employers will use coded language that could indicate a discriminatory attitude. Let’s take a quick look at how this could happen.
Key phrases
In some cases, discrimination may be clear when an employer is trying to hire new workers. They may say that they are looking for “fresh faces” or that they are seeking to bring “new blood” into the business. This may just indicate that they’re looking to hire younger workers in their 20s, and they wouldn’t consider anyone in their 40s or 50s.
Another example of this is if the employer criticizes older workers by saying that they are “set in their ways.” This implies that they can’t learn new skills or keep up with modern changes in the workforce. But this is unfair to older workers, who certainly can develop their skills and deserve an equal opportunity to hold those jobs.
Finally, job postings will sometimes use coded language. One of the most common examples of this is when the posting says that the company is looking to hire a “recent college graduate.” This implies that the person should be in their mid-20s, even though they technically could be older.
What are your options?
Discrimination based on coded language can be highly complex. If you find yourself involved in a lawsuit or dispute, be sure you understand your legal options.