Age discrimination is a topic that you should be aware of if you are over forty years old. Job applicants and employees who are forty years old or older are protected from discrimination under the Age Discrimination Act of 1975. Because of this, if you are forty years old or older, it is important to understand how the Age Discrimination Act of 1975 protects you.
The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 protects you from being discriminated against because of your age when employers are hiring. This means that an employer cannot decide not to interview your or hire you because of your age. If you are qualified for the job and possess the ability to do the work, the employer cannot simply discard your application because he thinks you are too old.
Employers also cannot discriminate because of your age when promoting. Again, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975 protects you from this. This means that your employer cannot give a promotion to a twenty year old instead of you simply because of your age. If a younger person is promoted instead of you, the employer needs to have a reason, besides age, for his decision to promote the other person. Usually, the reason could be that the other person has more experience than you, was more qualified for the position, etc.
And, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975 does not allow an employer to fire you because of your age. The employer will need another reason for terminating your employment. There could be any number of reasons why the employer would terminate your employment. Your employment could be terminated because the employer has written you up several times and provided you with notice of this, for example. As long as the reason is not because of your age, the employer will not be liable under this Act.
If you or someone you know is interested in more information, please contact Ms. Crossan at Bouchillon-CrossanLaw.com. Ms. Crossan specializes in employment law. Her office is located in Huntington, West Virginia.