Insights Into How Our Legal System Works

Too Old For This! 3 Sneaky Tactics Employers Use To Eliminate Older Employees

28 May 2016 by Yolanda Lane

If you're growing well into your senior years but are still part of the workforce, you have a few more concerns that come along with your age. In fact, one survey showed that 48 percent of individuals claim they've either witnessed discrimination because of age or they've been on the receiving end of discrimination in the workplace. Even though you have the right to fair treatment at work regardless of your age, some businesses and employers will use underhanded tactics to try to push aging employees out of the way. Here are three sneaky ways your employer may try to get rid of you because of your age.

1. They give you minimal hours. - If you are not getting enough hours every week and are paid hourly, you will most likely have no other choice but to quit your job and move on. It is not at all uncommon for an employer to make excuses to cut hours to get someone to go to a different job. They may use excuses to give you less hours, such as:

• your availability is too limited
• they don't have much for you to do
• they need someone else to be present more and you less

Pay attention if your hourly workweek starts to get smaller and smaller. If you feel like you are being targeted because of your age, it is best to talk with an attorney, like Law Offices Of Timothy O'Brien, for advice.

2. Your employer claims your position is being eliminated. - What if your employer suddenly decides that the same job title you have held for years is suddenly an obsolete position and they no longer need you? Unfortunately, if you are one of the aging employees in the business, this could just be an excuse to get you out of the way. Your employer may change the job title or alter it slightly so they can legally say your position is no longer available, but if your employer does not make an effort to re-situate you within the workforce, you could possibly have a discrimination claim. Look online where your company is posting new positions and document any new posts that contain your job description and/or qualifications. You can use these postings as evidence for your case.

3. Suddenly, your employer is nitpicky about your work. - If your employer starts to complain about how you work or do your job when they have never had problems with it before, they could be trying to push you out the door through intimidation. Likewise, they may start to put unfair workload demands on you specifically or somehow make certain tasks impossible to complete. If they can make you feel like you are too old to be working without actually saying so, you may be tempted to just quit. If this situation applies to you, it's best to go to HR first since you can anonymously air your concerns. Ask to obtain copies of your employer evaluations and quality assurance ratings so that you can compare any discrepancies or see if your employer's demands hold any bearing due to your previous work habits. 

Share

Search