Most people across the United States will find themselves working well into their 60s, if not longer, whether out of necessity or choice. Still, older employees can contribute a great deal to the workforce. Additionally, continuing to work and perform their duties appropriately means that they are protected under employment laws if their employers are required to follow those laws. As a result, if older workers in Michigan or elsewhere find themselves facing harassment or discrimination because of their age, they may have reason to take legal action.
It was recently reported that multiple managers in another state employed by Dollar General have left their positions due to allegedly facing harassment about their ages. A lawsuit has been filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and that lawsuit indicates that managers who were age 50 or older were harassed by a regional director. The actions included calling the older managers “grumpy old men,” expressing a desire to create a younger team of workers and threatening to fire workers who could not keep up with younger workers.
Before the lawsuit, the managers endured the following situations:
- Reporting harassment to Dollar General but seeing no effective measures taken by the company to stop the harassment
- Leaving their jobs due to the harassment they faced
- Facing termination for reporting the harassment
Unfortunately, age discrimination and harassment can affect older workers in Michigan and elsewhere. If this happens, taking the appropriate measures to report the problems may help find a resolution. If not, as this case shows, filing a complaint with the EEOC and possibly moving forward with a lawsuit may be warranted.