Older Colorado Workers Feel the Sting of Discrimination

Individuals older than 40 who are seeking new employment opportunities are finding it more difficult to get a job. Scott Croushore, a technology consultant by trade, is from Denver, Colorado and discovered this to be the case when he reached his late 40s. After having sent out more than 100 resumes, he noted that it was taking an overly long time to find his next job.

When Age Discrimination is Obvious

Croushore mulled it over for a while and then began to wonder if his age was working against him in his job-hunting journey. He decided to remove 13 years of experience from his resume to see if he’d get more calls. To his surprise, it worked. Unfortunately, he is not alone in suspecting that his age worked against him when looking for a new career opportunity. AARP performed a study that revealed that as many as two-thirds of working people between the ages of 45 and 74 said they have either seen age discrimination in the workplace or had experienced it themselves.

Another Denver native, writer, and filmmaker, Nancy Fingerhood, said that she too experienced difficulty when it came time to look for a job after she reached a certain age. As a result of the experience, she and her husband decided to start a social media campaign entitled “I, Too, am Qualified.” Through this critical movement, the couple asks older workers to share their own experiences and take pictures to show other people in this situation that they are not alone.

Laws That Protect Older Workers

The U.S. federal government enacted the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, which made it illegal to discriminate against people over 40 years of age in the workplace. As more and more cases of age discrimination arise in Colorado, the Denver Office of the Equal Employment Commission (EEOC) and the Colorado Civil Rights Division have investigated some age discrimination claims.

Unfortunately, in spite of age discrimination being so prevalent in the state, statistics show that the exact extent of the problem is difficult to track. In Colorado, the number of cases filed at the EEOC has dropped. The numbers went from 659 age discrimination cases filed in 2009 to only 515 in 2016. At the same time, Colorado has seen lower unemployment rates for older workers than younger ones. Fingerhood states that this shows how concealed the program is and refers to a report that Facebook allowed employers to target only younger workers with job ads.

Do You Suspect Age Discrimination?

There are steps any individual can take if they’ve experienced age discrimination at work, or while looking for a job. If you believe that an employer has taken adverse action against you due to your age, you may have grounds for a discrimination lawsuit.

Attorney Nathan Davidovich has more than 55 years of experience helping workers pursue discrimination claims throughout Denver. The Davidovich Law Firm holds a 2015 Clients’ Choice Award for their outstanding services. Mr. Davidovich also has a 100% Client Recommended Review on Martindale.com, the premier rating service for attorneys. Call (303) 825-5529 or schedule a consultation with Mr. Davidovich today.