Signs you have been Age Discriminated Against at the Workplace

When Lisa tried to get a job in publishing after 18 years of spending her life taking care of her family, raising her daughter, she was consistently rejected by publishing houses that were not ready to hire a 40-plus employee in their firm. During her job search, she ended up meeting a 26-year-old tattoo artist, Josh, in a bar, who thought physically fit and beautiful Lisa to be about the same age as himself. This made Lisa’s best friend come up with an idea to give Lisa a makeover to pass her off as a 26-year-old.

What was the result? Lisa ended up getting her dream job as an assistant at a leading publishing firm, Empirical Press, and a disturbingly hot 26-year-old boyfriend, Josh, which dramatically changed her life. Although this a fictional scenario taken from Younger, a 2015 American television series on TV Land, based on the Pamela Redmond Satran novel of the same name, reality is not very different, given that age discrimination is common in America.

Applicants above the age of 40 are consistently rejected by recruiters. The worst part is that not everyone can dress themselves to look young and fit into the millennial group to get a job.

Grey Ceiling: A Shameful Term Prevailing in the US

Did you know that there is a term common in workplaces to refer age discrimination faced by many older employees and job seekers? It is called Grey Ceiling.

An employment lawyer at The Law Offices Texas Discrimination Attorney, a leading firm of age discrimination attorneys in Austin & Houston, Texas, age discrimination can lead an employer to make an employee feel miserable because of their age. The employer might make personal comments on their productivity or resort to name calling, which, in the worst scenario, could force the employee to quit the job, which might have been the actual intention of the employer. However, such discrimination is prohibited under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) TX.

Leading employment lawyers in Austin & Houston, Texas, suggest that employees should take note of any personal or “funny” comments made on their age and contact an experienced attorney to file a charge of discrimination with the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) or the state agency.

Here are some signs that you should look for to collect evidence to file an age discrimination claim.

Signs You have been Age Discriminated

1. Use of biased comments: Old man and grandma are some of the names both co-workers and employers used to address their older co-workers. Document it with the date, time and names of the people who used such names.
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3. Comparison against younger employees: “Look how Peter is doing. Why can’t you achieve the same in a day?” Comparison to younger employees is also categorized as age discrimination.
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5. Not given a deserved promotion: You have been working hard for a promotion for so long. But it is awarded to a younger employee who is less qualified than you. The reason could be your age.
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7. Victimized: Other than promotions, if you are kept away from the best assignments, key meetings, revenue generating clients and office infrastructure, it can be a sign of age-based discrimination.

Employment lawyers in Austin & Houston, Texas, recommend that victims of age discrimination should collect evidence before filing charges against employers, to ensure the best results.