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Do millennials face age discrimination at work?

On Behalf of | Jul 17, 2021 | Blog, Discrimination

Despite attempts to regulate workplaces and lower the rate of discrimination employees face, it continues to plague many environments. Discrimination comes in numerous different forms as well, making it hard to track and combat.

One form of discrimination has seen a recent increase in coverage, though: age discrimination. This is due in no small part to the fact that the oldest millennials have now become eligible for protection under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA).

Oldest millennials hit 40

The Washington Post points out that this year, the first millennials became old enough to sue for age discrimination. People aged 40 or older can seek protection under ADEA, the act that offers nationwide protection from older workers. Some states have laws that protect even younger workers from age discrimination, but this differs greatly depending on your location.

Still, this change has sent a ripple through the national work community. Many millennials have cited feeling discriminated against for their age already, even before holding eligibility for ADEA coverage. This is not exactly a surprise, as even employers tend to show preference for younger workers depending on the field.

Types of age discrimination

Some employers hold bias due to the looks of their employees, while others discriminate based on the idea that older workers cannot do as much physical “heavy lifting” as their younger counterparts. This sometimes leads to workers with more experience and tenure getting passed over for raises, promotions and more.

Fortunately, millennials now have the power to combat any unfairness they see forming at work. And as time goes on, more millennials will fall under this coverage as well.

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