age discrimination

California Age Discrimination Laws Protect Workers 40+

February 20, 2023 | by Nassiri Law

In less than 10 years, more than a quarter of the population in California is going to be over the age of 60. Nationally by 2035, the number of people over the age of 65 will outnumber those under 18 – for the first time ever. As we speak, there are an estimated 10,000 people in America turning 65 every day. So perhaps it’s unsurprising that Los Angeles employment lawyers are getting more inquiries than ever about age discrimination at work and what constitutes a possible claim.

Age discrimination is unlawful under both California and U.S. laws – but it can be tough to prove, despite being increasingly common. It is very important if you’re considering pursuit of an age discrimination claim that you prioritize hiring an employment lawyer who knows what they’re doing – and has a proven track record of success in this particular area of law.

Why Do Employers Engage in Age Discrimination?

Older workers are defined as those 40 and older, and they may be vulnerable in landing and/or keeping a job – primarily on the basis of their age.

According to the AARP, an estimated 80 percent of older workers say they’ve experienced age discrimination at work.

Why would a workplace discriminate against older workers? Among the reasons sometimes cited (openly or not) for favoring younger workers:

They may be open to more flexible work schedules. They are less likely to have spouses, families, and other obligations that demand a reasonable work-life balance.
They tend to be more attractive. This of course is not a relevant factor for most positions, but the beauty bias is real and well-established.
They’re cheaper. Less experience means lower salaries, fewer benefits, less sick leave, less risk of injury, etc.
They’re better with technology. This is a myth – more experienced workers are just as efficient with the most up-to-date tech. But this misconception sometimes drives age discrimination in employment.

Many of these are rooted in preconceived notions and age-based stereotypes. Some of these reasons cited may be a solid basis for an age discrimination claim, depending on the particulars.

As noted by California’s Employment Development Department, some of the laws that protect older workers in this state include: Continue Reading ›

Sex, Age Discrimination Cited in Sizable, Lasting Job Losses Among Older Women Amid Pandemic

October 14, 2021 | by Nassiri Law

The pandemic had sweeping effects on California workers and the economy at large. Some companies saw increases in demand, but for many workers, the impacts were both adverse – and lasting. According to the new study released by the AARP, older women saw some of the worst effects, and they don’t appear to be subsiding. Fair employment advocates say age discrimination and sex discrimination play no little part in the phenomenon. Workers who believe they have been discriminated against on the basis of their age or gender should reach out to a long-time, trusted Los Angeles employment law firm.

Some of the primary takeaways from the AARP study,

About 40 percent of mid-career and older women workers experienced at least one job interruption during the pandemic.
Of those who are still unemployed, roughly 70 percent have been out-of-work for six months or more.
Among those who are still employed, most remain concerned about their financial future and potential unemployment.
More than 25 percent report their financial situations have worsened over the course of the pandemic.

One common thread for all employed women was the implication of caregiving. It was reported that 1 in 3 took care of a child or grandchild home during the pandemic for remote schooling. For many, that meant they could only work certain shifts or hours or reduced hours. Nearly half of employed women at some point during the pandemic were caring for either a child, grandchild, or adult family member or friend.

Then factor in that age discrimination in hiring has long been a stubborn problem in America’s workplaces for years. Older and mid-career women are often the most significantly impacted. The AARP’s survey of nearly 34,000 women workers found that almost a third who were job hunting believed age discrimination had been a hurdle in their efforts to secure a new position. Continue Reading ›

Age Discrimination in Sales Alleged in Federal Employment Lawsuit

September 12, 2021 | by Nassiri Law

Few corporate arenas are immune from ageism and age discrimination in the workforce, but sales and retail settings are known to be some of the worst offenders.

Recently, Reuters reported a federal class action age discrimination lawsuit had been filed against a drug maker, alleging the company only advertises its sales representative positions through college campus recruitment programs, and then fill the jobs with younger workers who were typically brought on initially as interns.

Plaintiffs allege the drug manufacturer is in violation the Age Discrimination and Employment Act, a federal law, as well as comparable state-level laws, which shield workers who are over the age of 40. In this case, workers in this protected age group were either deterred from filing for sales representative jobs or applied unsuccessfully, despite being more qualified than the younger individuals who were ultimately hired.

The company denies that managers were allegedly instructed to “not even bother” submitting candidates over 30 for consideration in sales position. Plaintiffs allege the company adopted hiring quotas about five years ago with the intention of packing their sales force with “early career professionals.” That’s a nice way of saying discriminating against older workers. Continue Reading ›

Do TikTok Job Recruit Tactics Violate Age, Gender Discrimination Laws?

August 21, 2021 | by Nassiri Law

Employers using social media platforms to advertise jobs and recruit potential employees is nothing new. Some did run into trouble tailoring their job ads to certain audiences (by age, gender, location, etc.), but most of those fields have been eliminated. Now, some employers are shifting their recruiting efforts to TikTok, a wildly popular video-sharing social networking service.

Last month, the company even launched its own pilot program with its own website that allowed people to apply for jobs through the app, which offered resources, tips and how to make a good pitch. Meanwhile, many employers, facing significant worker shortages, are using the app to reach out to potential workers.

By virtue of the fact that it is a video-based provider, it does leave prospective employees vulnerable to looks-based discrimination, sometimes referred to as appearance discrimination or lookism.

Of course, one’s appearance is not an indication of their work ethic or character. That said, society often puts a significant value on one’s appearance. Certainly, that’s not fair, but is it illegal? Appearance discrimination isn’t a category that is technically recognized as being protected by employment laws in California, but it could be actionable when the employer’s conduct amounts to gender discrimination, age discrimination, racial discrimination or disability discrimination. Continue Reading ›

Bill to Protect Older Americans from Age Discrimination Passed by House

July 2, 2021 | by Nassiri Law

Age discrimination is an ongoing problem in workplaces throughout California and the U.S. Recognizing this, the U.S. House of Representatives recently passed a bill aimed at protecting older Americans, potentially making it easier to file suit for violations.

The Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act was introduced earlier this year as part of a bipartisan effort. The goal is to restore workplace protections for 40-and-older workers that were undercut in Gross v. FBL Financial Services, Inc., a 2009 U.S. Supreme Court ruling. That ruling made it tougher to prove age discrimination.

In that case, the high court held that plaintiffs alleging disparate treatment under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) of 1967 must prove that one’s older age was the “but-for” cause of the adverse employment action. In other words, as our Los Angeles age discrimination lawyers can explain, the burden doesn’t shift to the employer to prove the action would have been taken regardless of age – even if the worker produces evidence that age was one motivating factor. The court held that ADEA doesn’t authorize a so-called “mixed-motives age discrimination claim.” Rather, it states that claims may be brought when an employer took some adverse action “because of age” and that age was the “reason” the employer decided to act. Continue Reading ›

$2.5 Million Paid in California Disability, Age Discrimination Lawsuits

June 28, 2021 | by Nassiri Law

The City of Huntington Beach has paid $2.5 million total to settle claims of disability and age discrimination allegedly perpetrated in part by the city attorney. The payout comes after the city paid $1.5 million fighting the claims.

According to The Orange County Register, two former employees allege the city’s former and current senior deputy city attorneys made numerous efforts to force them and other older workers out of their employment roles.

The case had been pending for two years, and council members, who had to approve the legal fees, insist the case has always been without merit, which is why they pushed the outside lawyers to prepare for trial rather than try to settle. Ultimately, though, they chose to settle with one claimant for $1 million and another for $1.5 million. Continue Reading ›

First Millennials Turn 40: Old Enough for California Age Discrimination Claims

January 13, 2021 | by Nassiri Law

Millennials are often derided in popular culture as being overly consumed by the digital age and largely defined as the entitled youth. But as of January 1, 2021, the oldest among them (born in 1981) turned 40. As our Los Angeles age discrimination lawyers can explain, that’s old enough to file claims under the Age Discrimination in Employment ACT (ADEA) of 1967.

Just like every other generation before them, millennials aren’t forever young. In fact, age discrimination is already facing some millennials – women in particular. We may see this become a pivotal battleground as the nation recovers from the economic crisis of coronavirus, given that discrimination is often worse during and immediately after periods of recession.

Of course, most people who are just turning 40-years-old aren’t going to bear the brunt of age discrimination in the workforce. Still, those who will tend to see it first are women. Continue Reading ›

L.A. Employment Lawyer Talks Ageism, COVID-19 and the Rights of Older Workers

September 4, 2020 | by Nassiri Law

One increasingly common side effect of the COVID-19 is a virulent uptick in ageism. As a longtime L.A. employment lawyer, I’ve noted an uptick in ageist attitudes in the social media sphere that is undoubtedly pervading workplaces as well.

Research published in the journal Age and Ageing found that older people were misrepresented and undervalued in the public discourse surrounding the pandemic, and that some policies that may have purported to be “protective” of older populations were in fact patronizing and possibly illegal.

The risk of serious coronavirus complications statistically increases with age, per the CDC. This may have prompted some employers to engage in age discrimination against older workers and prospective employees. Continue Reading ›

California Age Discrimination a Problem From the Time Employer Learns of Age

January 13, 2020 | by Nassiri Law

A new study found that job discrimination began for over-40 applicants as soon as their age became known by the employer.

The analysis, conducted by economists for the National Bureau of Economic Research in San Francisco, indicated that when workers applied in person for a position, they were “substantially” less likely to land that job than those who applied online. Researchers theorized the reason was the online applications didn’t ask job candidates for their age, and thus that information didn’t become apparent until the hiring entity has already had time to give at least initial consideration to candidates on the basis of their skills.

Ultimately, older workers in both scenarios still face age discrimination. However, at least a candidate who makes it to the interview stage has had an opportunity to highlight their desirability has an employee without age as a factor. And as our Los Angeles age discrimination lawyers point out, candidates who make it to the later stages of the interview process and are then denied may have an easier time proving discriminatory hiring practices. Continue Reading ›

“Ok Boomer” Went From Meme to U.S. Supreme Court in Age Discrimination Dispute

January 12, 2020 | by Nassiri Law

Is saying, “Ok, boomer” a form of age discrimination? The U.S. Supreme Court is weighing the possibility. While we await a decision, companies may want to be wary of workers tossing the phrase around.

The pithy catchphrase went viral last year as a means of taking a dig at older generations – specifically the perception that aging individuals tend to be more judgmental, narrow-minded and rigidly conservative. Recently, while considering an age discrimination lawsuit, Chief Justice John Roberts, himself a baby boomer (those born between 1946 and 1964), asked hypothetically whether use of the phrase said during the hiring process would constitute age discrimination.

The case in question involves an older government employee who alleges she was discriminated against because of her age. When Roberts asked the question, the somber mood within the courtroom lightened as many chuckled. However, the plaintiff’s employment attorney did seize on it to make a serious point, noting that the use of ethnic slurs in the hiring process could easily be construed as evidence of age discrimination – why not a quip like, “Ok, boomer”? Continue Reading ›