As bizarre as it might seem to anybody who still thinks of Millennials as mere youngsters, this is the year that the oldest millennials hit the big 4-0, thus making them eligible to litigate after instances of age discrimination in the workplace.
Admittedly, millennials are not the generation that comes to mind when you start speaking about age discrimination on the job. Yet, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) of 1967 protects those 40 and older who experience this type of workplace bias.
Which group is likeliest to experience age discrimination?
To virtually no one’s surprise, it’s women who will bear the brunt of age discrimination. Due to the economic downturn in 2020, age discrimination increased, as it tends to peak during and immediately following recessions. Women are far likelier to be victims of this type of discrimination when they hit their 40s than their male counterparts in the same industries.
Not worried? It gets worse
Even if you are a 40-year-old woman who is flourishing in her career, one study found that responses to resumes taper off significantly the closer you are to 50 years of age. Men of the same age, however, do not experience these age penalties.
But the men’s day will come too, as research that was published in the Journal of Political Economy indicates following a joint study by the University of Liverpool and the University of California at Irvine. By the time job seekers of both sexes turn 65, they equally experience widespread discrimination due to age and receive few responses to their resumes.
What can be done about age discrimination?
It can be tricky to prove age discrimination on the job, especially if the employer can claim other factors were at play besides a claimant’s age. For best results with an age discrimination claim, seek the guidance of a legal professional with experience litigating these types of cases.