Advocating for victims of age discrimination in the workplace

On Behalf of | Jan 27, 2017 | Age Discrimination |

Older workers in Minnesota and across the nation have a lot to offer their employers. Their years of experience often makes them strong employees in their chosen fields. Moreover, they can serve as mentors to younger workers, passing on their knowledge and through that making the entire workplace stronger.

However, not every employer appreciates what older workers have to offer. They may think that older workers, who may earn more than younger workers, are more expensive to keep around. Moreover, some employers see older workers as out-of-date when compared to workers fresh out of school. This may lead employers to discriminate against older workers.

While federal and state law prohibit age discrimination in the workplace, that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t occur. In fact, in 2006 over 10,000 reports of workplace age discrimination were made to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Age discrimination can be very serious. A worker could face harassment, be demoted, be overlooked for a promotion, be denied health or pension benefits or even be outright fired due to age discrimination.

That being said, workers who believe they have been the victims of age discrimination in the workplace have options.One option they may have is to consult with an attorney, to determine if they have a viable claim per the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act and the Minnesota Human Rights Act. For example, since 1996, attorney John Klassen has committed his practice to employee rights, including age discrimination cases. To learn more about how age discrimination affects Minnesota workers, and what can be done about it, you can visit attorney John Klassen’s age discrimination webpage.