Age Discrimination in Employment: Reasons, Analysis and Legal Provisions

Running head: EMPLOYMENT LAW
EMPLOYMENT LAW
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EMPLOYMENT LAW1
Abstract
Workplace discrimination can occur based on factors, like race, religion, gender, sexual
orientation, nationality, citizenship status age, physical disability, pregnancy, bankruptcy,
genetic information, et cetera. Such discrimination are strictly forbidden by the U.S. federal
laws and several legislations. Employment discrimination on the basis of age is referred to
treating an employee or an applicant less favorably due to his age. U.S. Federal laws like the
Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution, the Civil Rights Act 1964, and the
Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA) and the Age Discrimination Act of
1975 deals with the age related workplace discrimination in the U.S. This paper would strive
to include the reasons for age discrimination, along with a critical analysis of the issue and
lastly mentioning the laws and the regulations that forbid age discrimination in the U.S.

EMPLOYMENT LAW2
Introduction
Employment discrimination on the basis of age is referred to treating an employee or
an applicant less favorably due to his age. However, such discrimination is forbidden under
the U.S. employment law, for it is unethical and unlawful. There are laws that forbid age
related discrimination along with all other kinds of workplace discrimination. U.S. Federal
laws like the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution, the Civil Rights Act
1964, and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA) and the Age
Discrimination Act of 1975 deals with the age related workplace discrimination in the U.S.
This paper would strive to include the reasons for age discrimination, along with a critical
analysis of the issue and lastly mentioning the laws and the regulations that forbid age
discrimination in the U.S.
Discussion
Discrimination in the workplace could be based on a number of factors, like race,
religion, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, citizenship status age, physical disability,
pregnancy, bankruptcy, genetic information, et cetera. Such discrimination are strictly
forbidden by the U.S. federal laws and several legislations (Zimmer & Sullivan, 2017).
Although the United States Constitution does not deal with employment discrimination
directly, however it prohibits the federal government to discriminate applicants or employees
of the federal government on any grounds. Among others, age discrimination is a serious
issue that America has been facing over the years; a good example would be the economic
recession that U.S. evidenced in 2007 in the middle of a financial crisis, which has resulted to
a high unemployment rate (Hoynes, Miller & Schaller, 2012). People over 50 years of age
were the one to be most affected by the economic recession for: a) older employees are more
expensive than the younger ones, for their higher pay scale; b) older employees may lack
advanced work skills; and c) it may be inconvenient to hire an older employee who may retire