Wisconsin Attorneys Defending Victims of Age Discrimination in the Workplace
As they age, workers may face a different kind of hurdle in the workplace: age discrimination. To prevent this, and to provide remedies when it happens, the Wisconsin Fair Employment Act (WFEA) and the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) prohibit discrimination against people on the basis of their age. State and federal protections apply to people who are 40 years old or older.
Age discrimination can cause a range of adverse employment outcomes. Folks looking for new jobs in midlife or thereafter know that it can be harder to find work than it was as a younger person, and older employees hoping for a promotion or a pay raise may feel ignored in favor of younger coworkers. Generally, Wisconsin and federal law prohibits age discrimination in all aspects of employment, including hiring, firing, pay, job assignments, promotions, layoff, training, benefits, and any other term or condition of employment. Wisconsin law also protects the right of older workers to participate in a labor organization like a union, if there is one at their workplace.
In addition, age-based harassment in the workplace, from coworkers or management, is illegal under Wisconsin and federal law. Harassment can include offensive remarks about age, “teasing,” bullying, or other actions. To be illegal, harassment must be frequent or severe enough to create a hostile work environment, or lead to an adverse employment outcome (termination or demotion, e.g.).
If you believe that you are the target of age discrimination or harassment at work, or if you have observed it, the employment attorneys at Hawks Quindel are available to discuss the situation, and to counsel you on the legal options that may be available. Hawks Quindel believes that people of all ages have the right to be treated with dignity and respect in the workplace.