Employers in Idaho and elsewhere are prohibited from using age as a primary factor in hiring, promoting or otherwise developing workers who are 40 or older. Although age discrimination can be hard to prove, there are several telltale signs that you may be a victim.
Establishing patterns within the company
One of the most effective ways to prove that you have been a victim of workplace discrimination based upon your age is to find patterns within past employment decisions. For instance, if you notice that no one over the age of 40 has been promoted in the past year, it may be a sign of systemic wrongdoing. You may also discover that only workers over the age of 50 were asked to take pay cuts in lieu of being terminated during the last round of layoffs.
You aren’t given opportunities to develop
Age discrimination may be at play if your boss routinely sends younger workers to development conferences while asking you to stay at the office. The same may be true if younger workers are given special projects or networking opportunities while you are stuck in your office all day handling menial tasks. Of course, it’s also possible that your boss simply doesn’t think that you’re interested in learning new things, so a conversation with your manager may be enough to help your long-term development.
If you are treated differently at work because of your age, you may be entitled to compensation. You may also be reinstated to a former job if you were terminated illegally. Recent notes in your personnel file, a text message from a manager or other evidence may be used to help you obtain a favorable outcome.
