RTX Facing Age Discrimination Lawsuit After Reserving Certain Positions for Recent College Graduates

The world’s largest aerospace and defense company has recently been sued for rejecting job candidates based on age, according to a recent class action lawsuit filed in June. The lead plaintiff, a 67-year-old man, has accused RTX Corp. (formerly Raytheon Technologies) of discriminating against older applicants by reserving positions exclusively for recent college graduates or those with no more than two years of relevant work experience. The lawsuit is a reminder that there are persistent age discrimination practices in the U.S. despite older Americans making up a growing percentage of the workforce.

“Wrongful assumptions” about older workers persist 

According to Pew Research Center, nearly 20% of Americans aged 65 and older are employed. That figure has nearly doubled from 35 years ago. But just because older workers represent a growing number of the workforce, it doesn’t mean that employers are welcoming them with open arms.

A 2023 AARP survey of 1,500 adults in the labor force ages 50 and older found nearly 1 in 6 say they were not hired for a job they applied for within the last two years due to their age. Two-thirds of those polled said that older workers face age discrimination in the workplace.

Much of that discrimination stems from negative stereotypes and misconceptions concerning older workers. There is a widespread belief that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks or that older workers are slower to adapt and learn to a new workplace environment.

In a 2019 report from ZipRecruiter, 45% of surveyed employers expressed concern that older workers may not have the necessary tech skills to perform the job adequately. 25% said they’d choose a 30-year-old candidate over a 60-year-old candidate if both were equally qualified.

These concerns are unfairly impacting older workers in the workplace. 27% of job seekers aged 55 and older were unemployed long-term, compared to only 20% of those aged 16 to 54.

Understanding the lawsuit

 It is unlawful to have a hiring policy in place that unfairly discriminates against new applicants. The allegations in a suit like this are slightly different from your typical age discrimination lawsuit. While you do have an employee who claims they were passed up for a job based on their age, the company had a standing policy in place to hire new recruits right out of college or those with little or no work experience. The policy itself is unlawful under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA). Employers must institute hiring policies that conform with civil rights legislation that protects American workers from unlawful discrimination in the workplace.

Talk to a Tampa, FL Age Discrimination Lawyer Today 

Federal civil rights law makes it illegal to use age as the basis for denying an individual employment. If you have been fired, failed to get a job you were qualified for, or passed up for promotion because of your age, call the Tampa employment lawyers at Florin Gray today to schedule an appointment, and learn more about how we can help.

Source:

usatoday.com/story/money/2024/06/11/rtx-raytheon-age-discrimination-lawsuit/74047811007/