Age discrimination cases are often overlooked or ignored because many older workers are hesitant to report what is going on. After all, if they are being demoted or facing other issues in the workplace, reporting the situation may only make it worse.
However, there are laws in place to protect workers over the age of 40 from workplace discrimination. If you believe you are a victim of this, reporting it is your best option. It’s also necessary to gather evidence to support your claim.
Types of age discrimination
Age discrimination can occur in many ways. It may be comments about your age or derogatory comments. It can also be related to promotions, hiring and firing. The hardest type of age discrimination to prove is exclusion. This is when you aren’t included in events the company holds.
Types of evidence to gather
Gathering direct evidence of age discrimination is challenging. However, you can take notes about the time and date when these situations happen and save any correspondence such as voicemails, texts and emails. Even things like a supervisor asking when you plan to retire can be age discrimination, so it is important to note when these situations occur.
It’s a good idea to request information about things like why one employee was promoted when you may have more qualifications or why you weren’t invited to a conference or lunch. Be sure to hang on to the replies you receive, as they can be used as evidence for your age discrimination case.
Explore your legal options
While it can be challenging to prove cases of age discrimination, it’s not impossible. It’s up to you to gather proof of what’s going on to present to your employer. If no action is taken, you can take legal action since there are laws in place to protect you.