If you’re an executive at your place of work, then you’ve probably spent decades gaining the experience, skills, and knowledge necessary to succeed at your job. While the hope is that your merit will keep you in your position and potentially move you up the corporate ladder, unbeknownst to you your age may become a factor.
In some instances, employers try to force older employees out of the workplace. There can be several reasons for this. The employer may want to reduce costs and can do so by paying a less experienced worker to do the same job, or they simply might have a personal disagreement with an older worker that they want to get rid of. As a result, you could be demoted, reassigned, or even terminated from your job for age-related reasons.
Of course, your employer isn’t going to say that your age is a justification for taking an adverse employment action against you. Instead, they may attribute their action to poor work performance or absenteeism. But don’t take them at their word. If you’ve been treated unfairly, delve into the matter to determine if taking legal action against your employer is warranted.
Tips for building your age discrimination case
If you suspect that you’ve been subjected to age discrimination, then now is the time to start gathering evidence to support legal action against your employer. Doing so is probably the only way you’re going to protect your interests and recover the compensation that you’re owed. Here are some tips for building your case:
- Gather and analyze your work performance appraisals: There’s a chance that your employer is going to base its employment decision on what they frame as poor work performance. You might be able to counter that assertion, though, by using your work performance appraisals. Be sure to read through these documents so that you have a full understanding of your evaluation at that time.
- Secure all workplace communications: Written communications can help you show that you were complimented for your work performance and show how your employer treated you differently from younger workers. So, look through your emails and text messages, being sure to keep those that are relevant to your case.
- Talk to your co-workers: When you’re being discriminated against, it’s easy to think that you’ve simply misread the situation. But by talking to your co-workers, you might find that they’ve observed or experienced similar discriminatory behavior. This can give you witness testimony to support your case and help you show the prevalence of discriminatory behavior at your place of work.
- Keep a written log: If you think that you’re being discriminated against, then you should be sure to document all instances of discriminatory behavior. This will allow you to recall those instances with clarity, thus painting a more compelling picture for the judge and jury in your case.
Don’t be afraid to stand up to your employer
There’s a lot at stake when you’ve been discriminated against at work. Your reputation, your career trajectory, and your finances can all be negatively impacted. That’s why it’s imperative that you take action to protect your interests. You might feel uneasy doing that, but sitting on your employee rights won’t do anything for you.
So, if you’d like help building your case, then be sure to seek out answers to your questions and find the support and guidance you need to confidently navigate the process. Hopefully then you’ll rest easy knowing that you’ve done everything possible to hold your employer accountable.