EEOC Secures $500,000 Settlement Against Hatzel & Buehler
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission recently settled a lawsuit against Hatzel & Buehler for age discrimination. The $500,000 settlement will go to settle claims that the company engaged in illegal recruiting practices when looking for job candidates.
According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, since at least November 2020, the vice president of Hatzel & Buehler’s New Jersey branch engaged in age discrimination in their recruiting and hiring practices. The suit says that the vice president requested that recruiting companies seek out younger project managers and estimator candidates for job opportunities with the company. They then allegedly refused to hire older workers, because the workers did not fall within his age range. The EEOC’s lawsuit contends that the same vice president also failed to retain job applicant and hiring records in violation of federal law.
The Company’s recruitment practices violated the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA), which prohibits age discrimination in employment. This includes refusing to hire candidates because they are 40 years of age or older.
The settlement
In addition to paying $500,000 to any potential victims of the illegal policy, Hazel & Buehler also agreed to a consent decree which has been approved by the federal court. In addition to the monetary award, the company will be required to provide significant equitable relief such as prohibiting the vice president of Hatzel & Buehler from making final decisions regarding which job candidates to interview or hire for project manager and estimator positions. The company will also have to adopt robust anti-discrimination policies, provide specialized training to company officials and employees who participate in the recruitment and hiring process, and comply with mandatory reporting and EEOC monitoring requirements.
Understanding the ADEA
The ADEA is a piece of civil rights legislation that prevents discrimination against older workers. Its primary function is to give older workers a fair shot at competing in the workplace. It’s commonplace for older workers to be discriminated against in hiring practices. Many of the lawsuits that the EEOC files are based on age discrimination. These suits contend that employers use discriminatory practices to hire and promote prospective employees.
In the case mentioned above, the company put in place a policy which disadvantaged older applicants for a job. He asked a recruiter to only entertain candidates within a specific age range. This unlawful policy is in clear violation of the ADEA and impacts the quality of the U.S. job marketplace.
Talk to a Tampa, FL Age Discrimination Lawyer Today
If you have been passed up for a promotion, denied a job,, or harassed in the workplace because of your age, you may be entitled to file an employment discrimination lawsuit. Call the Tampa employment attorneys at Florin Gray today to schedule an appointment, and we can begin investigating your claims right away.
Source:
eeoc.gov/newsroom/hatzel-buehler-pay-500000-settle-eeoc-age-discrimination-suit
