Have You Been The Victim Of Age Discrimination At Work?

Due to changes in our economy and recessions in the last two decades, retirement is not a given for many Americans. Some of us can’t afford to retire at the “traditional” time. Others simply want to keep working. Whatever your reasons for staying in the job market, you deserve to be respected for your skills and experience rather than be forced out or marginalized because of your age.

At Maloney O'Laughlin PLLC, we understand that age discrimination is real and pervasive, particularly in fields like technology that assume older workers cannot adapt or innovate. If you are over the age of 40 and have been fired, demoted or suffered other losses due to your age, our firm is ready to help you seek all appropriate legal remedies.

You Have Legal Protections Against Discrimination

In 1967, Congress passed the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA). This law makes it illegal for employers to:

• Refuse to hire older workers based on age
• Fire older workers based on age
• Reduce wages based on age
• Take any other adverse employment actions based on age
• Make policies/decisions that would disproportionately impact older workers
• Make or tolerate harassment or denigrating comments about older workers

Age discrimination is also prohibited by Washington’s Law Against Discrimination. In both cases, the protections apply to workers age 40 and older.

Proving Your Claim

Proving discrimination can be tricky because most employers know how to disguise their actions as legitimate business decisions. To prove age discrimination, you need to demonstrate that you (and perhaps other older employees) received disparate treatment because of your age, including harassment, negative performance reviews, loss of benefits or exclusion from opportunities.

You can also claim that a business decision had a disparate impact on older workers, even if discrimination was not the intent of the policy or practice.

While these cases can be difficult to prove, our attorneys are up to the challenge. We have previous experience defending employers in litigated matters, and we understand the arguments that opposing counsel is likely to make. By anticipating their challenges, we are better prepared to counter their claims and demonstrate illegal discrimination.

Talk To Attorneys Who Are Devoted To Employee Rights

At Maloney O'Laughlin PLLC, we only represent employees in employment law matters. To discuss your case and learn more about your legal options, contact our office in Seattle by calling 206-536-2338. You can also reach out online.