Staying as an employee in a company for decades is an admirable feat. The longer you work for an employer, the more memories and lessons you can cherish as you consider retirement. However, these sentiments could quickly turn sour if you become a victim of age discrimination at work.
Age discrimination happens when an individual experiences adverse effects of harassment or employment decisions based on age. Sometimes, these incidents are easy to notice in various aspects of employment, such as withholding promotions or coercing elderly employees to retire. However, they could also be more subtle, making them difficult to spot.
The following signs of age discrimination could be more discreet than others:
- Hiring young employees while laying off those who are older
- Using age as a basis when distributing tasks to employees
- Slight comments implying pressure on more senior employees to retire
- More senior employees do not receive merit for their stellar work performance
- Elderly employees receive inaccurate performance reviews that are significantly lower than actual numbers
Sometimes, the employer might have good reason to back up their actions regarding hiring or providing incentives. Still, they could be against the law if their decisions consider age as a primary consideration.
Addressing age discrimination
Employees receive protection from the law against age discrimination. Unfortunately, the workplace is prone to these incidents due to the various people going to and from work daily. These people come from different social classes and upbringings, that could foster discriminatory behavior, even without them knowing.
Still, victims of age discrimination should speak up and report incidents to human resources. If they fail to address this issue, victims could seek sound legal counsel from attorneys specializing in employment law. Doing so could help them protect their rights and make violators accountable for their actions.