Age discrimination can be difficult to identify and to prove. You may have a suspicion that your age has held you back from progressing in your career, but you may also feel unsure of whether you were discriminated against.

Age discrimination is surprisingly common in the United States, and it can affect older people’s ability to maintain their employment or progress further in their career. If you are over the age of 40, you are legally protected by age discrimination in the workplace. Make sure that you understand what kinds of situations constitute workplace discrimination. The following are some examples of situations in which action could be taken.

You are told that college graduates are preferred because of their work ethic

When attending a job interview, the discussions you have should be centered around your skills and how they apply to the job for which you are interviewing. You should not be asked irrelevant questions such as your age. If you are not given the job and the reasoning was that the employer would prefer younger employees, this is an example of age discrimination.

Specifically, if the employer used stereotyping to justify their decision, for example, if they said that they want to hire college graduates because they have a high work ethic, you should try to gain evidence of this statement and consider taking action.

You are fired and you believe that a younger employee replaced you

Some employers are strategic in their decision to let go of older employees and replace them with younger workers who take a lower salary. This is an example of systematic age discrimination, and it should not be tolerated. If you can gain proof of the strategic discrimination that your former employer is engaging in, you may be able to successfully file a claim for wrongful termination.

Younger people are consistently promoted

If you notice that younger employees with lower competencies are consistently being promoted, this may also be an example of age discrimination. Employees have the right to be promoted based on their skills and competencies. Their age should never be a barrier to career progression.

If you believe that you have been discriminated against at work in Missouri because of your age, it’s important to seek justice.