Age discrimination is a violation of the California Fair Employment and Housing Act. Under the Act, the definition of age is an individual who is 40 years or older.
How do you know
It can be difficult to ascertain. Employers are not obligated to provide reasons for not hiring a candidate. They simply don’t have to hire you. They are not even obligated to contact you.
You will need strong evidence that your age was the reason you weren’t hired. If you can show you’re as qualified as other younger applicants, age discrimination can be at play.
If you find yourself in this position, here are questions to ask yourself.
Were interview questions geared towards age bias?
Interviewers may absently leak that older employees are not necessarily welcome. If asked about retirement or your retirement plans, the company is probably looking at your age.
Do hiring requirements factor in age?
Companies may institute age restrictions as a roundabout for not hiring older candidates. For example, a job could have a physical requirement that would be tough for an older candidate to meet.
Are you an older woman?
Mature females are far more likely to not get a job they’re qualified for. Evidence shows older women candidates get far fewer callbacks on their résumés than do younger applicants and even older men.
What to do about age hiring discrimination
Here are five tips for avoiding age discrimination:
• Don’t highlight your age before the interview
• Stay on top of tech and trends
• Focus on experience and technical background
• Avoid answering questions such as “How old are you?,” “When are you retiring?” and “When did you graduate?” Counter with “How does that align with my ability to do the job?”
• Remain positive