Age Discrimination

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the nation's first law protecting the job rights of older workers. Labor and management groups agree that the ADEA has helped make Americans more aware that workers of traditional retirement age can be just as productive as their younger colleagues. Nonetheless, corporate downsizing campaigns are often accused of targeting older workers because they earn disproportionately high salaries. Laid-off workers over age 40 can file complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission if they suspect age bias caused their job loss. EEOC statistics show, however, that few such complaints succeed and that employers are becoming increasingly adept at shedding older employees without running afoul of the law.