Over the years, Minnesota residents often become better and more accomplished in their careers. Individuals gain experience and learn how to become more effective and efficient in their daily work.
While these increased skills undoubtedly make the employee more valuable to the employer, the employer will not necessarily reciprocate by rewarding the employee. Instead, employees may find themselves the target of age discrimination at hands of their employer, such as when the employer tries to terminate their employment in an effort to save costs by hiring a younger worker.
For instance, General Mills was recently sued in an age discrimination lawsuit. The lawsuit, brought by 29 former employees who were let go during cost-cutting campaigns, claim they were selected to be laid off because of their age. They pointed to statistical evidence showing workers over the age of 40 were more than three times as likely to be let go than those employees under age 40. The lawsuit follows another age discrimination case against the company from a year ago.
While the lawsuits against the company have yet to be resolved, they demonstrate how employees who believe they are the target of age discrimination can obtain legal recourse against their employer. State and federal law protects employees from age discrimination. Accordingly, the employee may bring multiple claims of age discrimination against the employer, in addition to other claims that might be available depending on the circumstances.
Each claim may have different elements that have to be proven in order to be successful. Accordingly, each claim will turn on the elements involved and, in turn, the factual circumstances of the case supporting those claims.
Source: MPR News, “General Mills faces another age-discrimination lawsuit,” Martin Moylan, April 12, 2016