Age Discrimination In Employment Act (ADEA)

954 Words2 Pages

Age discrimination has played a tremendous role in corporate history and has transformed the way that businesses and corporations higher and fire their employees. Age discrimination did not come about until the baby boom generation reached middle age. The baby boom generation was the largest demographic group in U.S. history. Thus, as this generation was reaching middle age, there was a greater focus and emphasis on the laws involving the treatment of elderly U.S. citizens. This movement caused there to be an increase in employment over the age if 40. In 1967 the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) was set into place. The act protects employees and applicants over the age of 40. Therefore, it became unlawful to discriminate and judge …show more content…

companies. If an employee has an issue or believes they have been mistreated by their corporation they must file a charge with the EEOC. Soly in 2006, 23,000 charges were filed under the ADEA. However, not all of these charges were brought forward due to the fact that they was a lack of evidence. Thus, only 16% of all the charges brought about in 2006 were represented. Within the ADEA charges there is a greater number of cases which involve termination rather than hiring or other issues regarding harassment and wages. This is due to the fact that it is more difficult to prove or because there are lower damages than termination cases. Evidence is key in the prosecution of a corporation in any ADEA …show more content…

Criswell in 1985. The prosecutter stated that there were set guidelines for defending an age limit based on the BFOQ exception. Western Air Lines contended that they require their employees working as flight attendants to retire at age 60. However, when the policy was challenged, airlines stated that age limit was a BFOQ necessary to ensure safety. The case was brought to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court disagreed with the Western Air Lines. The Supreme Court then decided to instill a two prong evaluating a BFOQ based on safety. This two pong evaluation stated that when a company sets an age limit, the company has to asses whether the age limit is reasonable necessary to the overriding interest in public safety and whether the employer is justified in applying the age limit to all employees rather than deciding each case on an individual basis. Thus, it is generally unlawful for there to be an age preference, any limitations or specification in job notices. However, job notices and advertisement do have the ability to specify age limit only in the circumstance that the age is shown by bona fide occupational

More about Age Discrimination In Employment Act (ADEA)

Open Document