Reeling in the Years: The Age of Discrimination

For those who suffer age discrimination, serious financial decline often accompanies a job loss or a job not offered. The experience of four former administrators at Rutgers University illustrates the difficulty of valuable, well-paid workers who become disposable with age.

For many people aged 40 and older, the Great Recession and its aftermath mean unemployment. Workers at midlife or older lucky enough to find re-employment after losing a career-level job must often adjust to a substantially lower salary.

At Rutgers, a lawsuit against that institution by former administrative employees alleges the following:

• All four individuals were dismissed after Gregory S. Jackson, current chief-of-staff to the university president, was given authority over career services at the institution. Of the three employees who had a regular evaluation, each received good job appraisals until Mr. White arrived. Thereafter, the evaluations—and the job security—of each administrator diminished.
• One plaintiff notes she was asked repeatedly by Mr. Jackson when she planned to retire.
• The administrators believe Mr. Jackson systemically worked to disparage their job performance and capabilities so he could bring in younger workers.

Only one of the four administrators who are suing Rutgers has located new employment, and it is a part-time position. According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), there were more than 21,000 age-related discrimination complaints filed in 2013.

In many cases, job evaluations and assessments are used to move an older worker into a lower-paying job or toward unemployment. If suffering bias in your workplace in New York, speak with an experienced discrimination attorney about your case.