Do you believe you’re being discriminated against in your workplace because of your age? Are you looking for ways to prove this discrimination? There are a few things that your discrimination attorney in Kansas City wants you to know as you seek your settlement.
Ask a Discrimination Attorney in Kansas City: All About Ageism in the Workplace
What Exactly Is Ageism?
Because of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, employers cannot discriminate based on age. Being discriminated against for any reason isn’t just harmful to your employment and career. It can also have a huge toll on your mental health, which will, in turn, affect all other areas of your life.
These are a few ways you can tell that you are being discriminated against because of your age.
You’re Not Being Offered Learning Opportunities
Many employers will try to ensure that they stay ahead of any competitors by ensuring that their employees are properly trained. This includes offering employees ongoing learning opportunities to ensure that they can perform to the best of their abilities.
If you’re not being offered these learning opportunities, but younger employees are, then it could be an issue of discrimination. While it’s possible that younger people being offered these opportunities instead of you isn’t a case of ageism, if you’re noticing other signs as well, then you might have a legal claim on your hands.
You’re Being Left Out of Company Activities
Is your company throwing events or holding meetings that other people are being invited to, but you’re being left out of? There are a variety of reasons why someone may not be included in certain gatherings or activities.
But if you’re noticing that younger people are consistently being invited but older people like yourself are being left out, this could be a major sign of discrimination.
You’re Experiencing Disparaging Remarks About Your Age
Have people in your workplace been making remarks about your age? Some of these remarks may be played off as joking and they may seem subtle and innocuous, but this is one of the biggest indicators that you are experiencing discrimination at your workplace.
You’re Seeing Lay Offs
Another major sign that ageism is rampant in your workplace is if it seems as if older workers are being laid off with younger workers then picking up those responsibilities, possibly under a different job title. This could be a case of wrongful termination.
What Do You Need to Prove Ageism?
A Lawyer
One of the first things you need to do if you believe that you are experiencing any kind of discrimination in your workplace is to get in touch with a lawyer. That’s because the law can be a complicated thing.
If you don’t have the right training, you could wind up making some major mistakes that could result in you getting a lower settlement than you deserve—or not settlement at all. But lawyers spend years training to practice the law, which means your lawyer will know what to do to help you get the compensation you deserve. For more info on how your lawyer can help, check out this site.
Emails or Texts
Hard evidence is the best to have in situations like this, but there’s no denying that this particular evidence can be hard to gather in situations like this. Employers will generally try to be careful about covering their backs, and many of the things they say may be in passing.
But if you’ve received any emails or texts that contain disparaging comments on your age or that document certain opportunities being passed to younger employees and skipping over you entirely, then make sure you save those emails or texts, as they will serve as important pieces of evidence.
Witness Statements
Witnesses can do a lot to support a legal claim that you are making. If there is anyone in your workplace who has witnessed the discrimination you’ve experienced or who has experienced similar kinds of discrimination, then you should ask if they would be willing to testify.
Anything Documenting Exclusion
This can be difficult to prove, as you may not even realize that you’ve been excluded from something until after it happens. Even so, there are a few things that you can do to prove that you have been excluded from events or meetings.
If you realize that an event has been held that you were not invited to, try to find out as much information about it as you can. You should also try contacting the organizer and asking to be included in the next event. Pay attention to their response and save any communications.
Being discriminated against for any reason can be not only frustrating but traumatizing too. Ageism in the workplace can be a particularly difficult issue to prove. This is why you should make sure that you are working with a qualified lawyer to ensure you get fair compensation.