Take Legal Action
Sadly, there are cases in which neither of these steps works out. If your complaint through HR hasn’t deterred your employer to stop these tactics then you should consider taking legal action. If you are over the age of 40, consider contacting the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission with a formal charge of age discrimination.
When should you file these complaints?
- If the work environment has become hostile due to severeage related harassment.
- If your assignments, pay, benefits, training and promotions have been affected due to your age.
- If a new policy in the workplace has negative consequences for you due to your age.
Those who wish to take this step could either do it by telephone, by filling an online form through the EEOC Public Portal, by mail or through a local Fair Employment Practice Agency.
Afterwards, one of several scenarios might come into play. You could go into mediation with your employer, for once. Or the EEOC might start an investigation to check if the law has been violated.
After the investigation, you might be given the option to reach a settlement with your employer. Sadly, in some cases, even if the investigation has proved that the law has been violated, certain employers might not do anything to change their behaviour. In this case, all that’s left on the table is the option to sue your employer.
