Both federal laws and California state regulations prohibit employment discrimination. Businesses should not consider a worker’s protected characteristics when deciding whether to hire them, offer them a promotion or terminate their position with the company.
Some forms of discrimination are easy to identify. Discrimination based on age or race clearly affects any professional from a certain background. However, other forms of discrimination can be more difficult to understand. Age is one of the personal characteristics protected under state and federal employment laws.
When is a worker vulnerable to age discrimination?
Age discrimination affects older employees
Younger workers typically do not face systemic age discrimination. For the purposes of employment, establishing minimum standards regarding age, education and experience is not generally illegal discrimination.
Employers can establish baseline requirements that may prevent workers in their teens and twenties from qualifying for certain positions. Refusing to consider younger, less experienced applicants does not necessarily constitute actionable age discrimination.
Instead, age discrimination rules protect workers who are 40 years old or older. Workers with years of experience do not always receive the respect and consideration they deserve. Companies should not consider a worker’s advanced age when deciding who to hire, fire or promote.
Age discrimination can involve promotion discrimination and lost opportunities. It might involve a hostile work environment where co-workers or supervisors mistreat a professional because of their age.
Those who have experienced age discrimination may have grounds to take legal action against their employers. Fighting back against workplace discrimination often requires documentation and the assistance of a professional familiar with both federal and state discrimination rules, and that’s okay.