Protecting Employees From Age Discrimination

The purpose of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) is to protect candidates and employees 40 years of age or older from age discrimination in the workplace. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) labels age discrimination as treating an applicant or employee unfavorably because of their age and discrimination may occur when the victim and the person responsible for prejudices are both over the age of 40. Employers cannot favor an older worker over a younger one, even if both workers are over the age of 40.