When your employers or coworkers intentionally treat you negatively because of your age, you could be the victim of age discrimination. The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 prohibits others from discriminating against you at work on the basis of your age.
Even though age discrimination is illegal, it can still happen. There are signs you can watch out for to determine if this is happening to you at work and if you need to bring legal action against those you work with.
1. You get reassigned to undesirable duties
Job reassignment, especially to a position no one else wants, can be a clear sign your employer wants to replace you or phase you out of the company. To prevent this, you need to make an effort to continually improve at your work as you age.
2. You overhear comments about your age
If your boss ever asks you if you have plans to retire or makes distasteful comments about your age, this is a sign that your retirement is on his or her mind. You may want to try and have a friendly coworker witness these conversations in case the issue evolves into an age discrimination lawsuit.
3. You no longer receive raises or promotions
Throughout the course of your employment, especially if you remained with the same company, you may have received consistent raises or promotions based on your performance. If these incentives suddenly stop as you get older and your coworkers still receive raises and promotions, this could be a sign of age discrimination.
4. You consistently undergo negative performance reviews
Performance reviews provide an opportunity for your employer to provide constructive criticism about your production and effectiveness at work. If you used to receive good reviews and then suddenly your feedback declines, this may indicate your company wants to get rid of you because of your age.
