Exclusively Employment Law

Representing Victims of Workplace Age Discrimination

Age discrimination is one of the most common types of discrimination in the workplace, especially in California.

Both federal law (the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (the “ADEA”)) and California law (the Fair Employment and Housing Act (the “FEHA”)) prohibit employers from discriminating against an employee because of his or her age. Specifically, employees who are 40 years of age or older are protected from age discrimination under both the ADEA and the FEHA.

Below are some potential signs of age discrimination:

  • The age make-up of your department or company is gradually getting younger. The older employees “resign” or are terminated, and the new hires are younger.
  • You have successfully worked at your company for years. However, your supervisor suddenly starts nit-picking and criticizing your work.
  • Your supervisor tells that you won’t receive a promotion because you don’t fit the profile of a young, aggressive manager.
  • Your supervisor says that your sales techniques are too “old school.”
  • You are criticized or reprimanded for making mistakes or errors, but younger employees (who make the same mistakes or errors) are not criticized at all.
  • Your supervisor tells you that you are “slow” or “lack energy” or are not “technologically savvy.”
  • Even though you continue to have the same job title, you feel like your employer has “demoted” you: i.e., your employer is no longer assigning you challenging work or projects; you are excluded from meetings (that you were allowed to attend in the past); and you are left out of important decisions.
  • Your employer informs you that your position (e.g., Marketing Manager) is being eliminated and that you therefore no longer have a job. After you leave your employment, however, you learn that your employer recently hired a younger employee to fill the new position of Marketing Operations Manager, which is very similar to your old position.

If you believe that you have been subjected to age discrimination in the workplace, call 916-612-0326 or email Finley Employment Law today.