Age discrimination in the workplace has been a pervasive issue for decades, and though we’ve come a long way in battling all types of discrimination as a society, people are still discriminated against in the workplace due to their age. Though we typically think of age-based workplace discrimination in the context of older members of the workforce being treated unfairly, it’s not entirely uncommon for the youngest members of the workforce to also face age-based discrimination, to at least some extent. For example, younger employees are often belittled or treated as naive, inexperienced, or unqualified, even if the opposite is true. This type of behavior is reprehensible, but does the law provide a path for legal recourse against it? Read on and reach out to a seasoned Chesterfield County age discrimination lawyer from Passero Employment Law to learn whether young people can file age discrimination claims in Virginia.
Can a young person sue for workplace discrimination?
In a word, the answer is no. To start, you should first understand how the Age Discrimination in Employment Act works. Essentially, this federal law prevents age-based discrimination in the workplace, but only for employees who are at least 40 years old and who work for companies with at least 20 employees.
So, even if you’re over 40 and face discrimination in the workplace, if your company has fewer than 20 employees, you likely won’t qualify for a claim under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. Of course, this also means that employees under the age of 40 altogether are not afforded protections under this Act as well.
That being said, the firm always encourages employees to reach out and tell their story. Although age discrimination may not be a viable option, a seasoned attorney can analyze your entire employment issues and may be able to think of some issues that you may not have thought of. In addition, it is always helpful to discuss these issues with an employment attorney to have the right understanding of the protections you may or may not have – even if just in the future.
Passero Employment Law has extensive experience representing victims of discrimination in the workplace, and we are here to fight for you as well. Contact us today so you can tell us your story and we can inform you of your options.
