Age Discrimination and Employment

Although the Age Discrimination Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA) states that it is illegal to discriminate against individuals forty and over; are employers still discriminating against age? The answer is a definite yes. Age discrimination is difficult to prove because of the tactics of the business world. It's often their word against yours and unless in writing or witnessed by someone else besides your self it is almost impossible to prove.

For example, a well known retail firm within walking distance from my home was asking for seasonal help, and applications were being taken on line only. On November 2, I decided to apply so that I would have extra money for the holidays. While filling out the on-line application, I noticed that I was asked for my birth date as well as my Social Security number. A notification on the application stated that the birth date was to help identify who I was and not for hiring purposes. The person who would interview me if selected would not be given this information. I tried to leave the area requesting my birth date blank, but I was informed that my birth date was needed to complete the application, thus I filled it in. At the end of the application, I was given a list of days and times to be interviewed to choose from. I chose Wednesday November 7, at 1:00 p.m. for the interview. I received an e-mail later confirming the appointment, and also telling me to go to the Service Desk for directions to Human Resources.

Upon arriving at the retail store, I was told at the Service Desk that the person that does the interviewing was not in on Wednesdays. When I explained that I had a 1:00 appointment, I was asked if I filled out the application on- line. I replied that according to the store notifications all applications were on-line only, and I had received an e-mail confirming the appointment. The woman at the Service Desk stated that the information in the e-mail was incorrect and to leave my name and address and I would be called the following morning.