When you go to work, you have the right to be able to do your job in an environment that is free from certain types of mistreatment and inappropriate behaviors. You have rights as a Georgia employee, regardless of your age or the nature of your job. If you are experiencing certain types of treatment that you believe could be the result of harassment or discrimination, you do not have to remain silent and endure this type of treatment on your own.
Older employees may experience something called age discrimination. This is a form of mistreatment based on the age of the individual, and it is as illegal and inappropriate as any other type of discrimination. It may be helpful to be able to recognize age discrimination in order to determine if you are a victim and how you can pursue recovery if this is something that happens to you.
Recognizing mistreatment in the workplace
Age discrimination is treating any type of employee unfairly or inappropriately on the basis of his or her age. If you are age 40 and older, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act protects you against age-based discrimination in your workplace. If you are an older employee, you have protection from this type of treatment at any stage or in any aspect of employment, including interviewing, hiring, promotions, benefits, layoffs, training and more. Age discrimination and harassment can come in different forms.
If you lost a deserved promotion to a younger or less qualified employee, you could be a victim of age discrimination. This may also be the case if you are the subject of inappropriate remarks, derogatory jokes and other types of treatment that make you feel uncomfortable. Employers are also prohibited from pushing you to retire early or take away your benefits in order to save money or divert resources to younger employees.
What if you are a victim?
Victims of age discrimination have the right to speak out about what they experienced in the workplace. If you believe that you are a victim, you will benefit from learning more about how you can fight back against age discrimination and seek justice. There are legal options available to you through which you can hold the responsible parties accountable for what you experienced and seek appropriate recompense.
