Age discrimination is common in the workplace. A significant percentage of workers have reported that they have experienced or witnessed unfair treatment at work based on age. This type of discrimination can limit career opportunities, reduce job satisfaction, increase stress and force premature job exits.
Here is what to know about it:
Who is targeted?
Older employees are primarily affected by age discrimination at work. The U.S Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) forbids discrimination against workers who are age 40 or older. This legal protection is also implemented by the Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR) and the Chicago Human Rights Ordinance.
An employee who is unfavorably treated because they are 40 years or older can file a complaint against the harasser, who can be their employer or supervisor. One can also have a basis for a case when a harasser is their co-worker, but their employer failed to stop the harassment after reporting it.
What are the common signs to look for?
Age discrimination at work can be subtle or direct. Common examples include:
- Frequent or severe offensive jokes/comments/stereotypes about age
- Offering older workers lower pay or reducing their benefits
- Consistently overlooking older workers while favoring younger ones for promotions
- Excluding older employees from training, social events, team-building activities or high-profile projects
- Transferring them to less desirable locations or departments
- Holding older workers to higher, often unfair, performance standards compared to their younger colleagues
- Pressuring them to retire by making the work environment hostile or giving incentives for early retirement without the employees voluntarily requesting
If you experience any of these treatments or more, it’s important to document the incident and report it internally.
It’s unlawful to discrminate agianst an employee because of their age. If you have experienced age discrimination at work, get more information about how you can handle the situation effectively.