Age Discrimination in Employment Act

The Age Discrimination in Employment Act, commonly abbreviated as ADEA, is a U.S. federal law that protects workers aged 40 and older from discrimination in the workplace based on their age. The law applies to a wide range of employment decisions, including hiring, firing, promotions, compensation, and other terms and conditions of employment, prohibiting employers from making these decisions based on an employee's or applicant's age. The ADEA covers employers with 20 or more employees and applies to labor organizations and employment agencies as well. It prohibits not only obvious forms of age discrimination but also policies that may appear neutral on their surface but have a disproportionately negative effect on older workers, unless the employer can demonstrate a legitimate business reason for the policy. Employers found to have violated the ADEA can face significant legal consequences, including back pay, reinstatement, and other remedies. Because of this, companies typically train hiring managers and HR staff to ensure that job postings, interview questions, and employment decisions do not reference or factor in a candidate's or employee's age, focusing instead strictly on qualifications and performance.