Experience counts.
That is an adage with applicability across a broad spectrum of life, including at the workplace.
Especially at the workplace. Do you want a freshly minted graduate from flight school at the helm of a jumbo airliner you’re on, or a seasoned veteran with thousands of hours of flight experience in all types of conditions? Would you rather have a just-graduated business major guide your financial portfolio, or a proven money manager who has successfully operated in both up and down markets? A fresh medical school resident or, well … readers get the point.
That point is this: Qualification in the employment context logically relates to heightened skill level secured over time by a smart, focused and dedicated worker. On-the-job acumen doesn’t come cheaply.
And yet despite that truth, a kind of upside-down reality is increasingly playing out in federal workplaces across the country these days. Namely, that is employment discrimination against older workers, especially concerning pressures aimed at forcing ouster and premature retirement.
That is just wrong. Moreover, it is patently unlawful under both a slew of federal, state and local anti-discrimination laws.
The Age Discrimination in Employment Act commands immediate attention at the national level. The ADEA addressed an omission in the seminal Civil Rights Act of 1964 spotlighting enumerated workplace categories protected against discrimination by prominently spotlighting age a few years later. The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission oversees age-tied discrimination claims brought under the ADEA and other laws.
What type of actions against older workers are taboo?
Management misconduct against older workers ranges from the subtle to the patently obvious, with this being a relevant guideline for any targeted employee: If you are on the receiving end of any behavior that treats you adversely as opposed to younger workers, seek proven employment law legal counsel. Common examples of company wrongdoing against older employees include actions/outcomes like these:
- Harassing speech and conduct not leveled at other workers
- Exclusion from promotion, pay increases and other benefits received by coworkers
- Unenviable and unanticipated job relocation
- Poor performance ratings that stray notably from the outcomes of previous reviews
- Failed invites to team meetings
- Unsolicited comments and queries regarding future retirement plans
Those bulleted points highlight received treatment that is legally actionable and can materially empower any adversely affected employee filing a discrimination complaint.
Mature federal workers command strong legal rights at the workplace. When those are threatened, an experienced employment law legal team can maximally safeguard their interests and help them pursue a claim for maximum compensation and other remedies.