Age Discrimination

The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 ( ADEA ) prohibits employers from discriminating against individuals who are 40 years of age of older - in hiring, firing, and other terms and conditions of employment - because of their age. The ADEA 's protections apply to both employees and job applicants. This form of discrimination may be inadvertent or intentional, and it can be obvious or subtle; regardless, it is unacceptable at Appalachian and, in many cases, it is against the law.

Definitions of Age Discrimination:

The EEOC is charged with the responsibility of education, research, investigation, and enforcement of the ADEA. Specific EEOC guidelines on age discrimination are available in the Code of Federal Regulations.

The North Carolina Office of State Personnel defines persons qualified for protection based on age as "persons 40 years of age or older."

The Office for Civil Rights (U.S. Department of Education) defines age as "how old a person is, or the number of elapsed years from the date of a person's birth."

Examples of age discrimination may include:

An employee is not granted a career opportunity because she is 40 years of age or older.
A qualified candidate is not offered a job solely because he is 50 years old.
An employer permits employees to put down, demean, and ridicule an older employee because of her age.
A supervisor pressures an employee to take early retirement because he wants a "younger more energetic" workforce.

It is also unlawful to retaliate against an individual for opposing employment practices that discriminate based on age or for filing a discrimination charge, testifying, or participating in any way in an investigation, proceeding, or litigation under the ADEA.

ASU Policies and Procedures Related to Age Discrimination