Many federal and state laws have been set up to protect the employment rights of senior citizens. Many states have their own age discrimination policies and laws that are different from federal policies.
In March 2005, a Supreme Court decision ruled that employers could not discriminate against an employee based on age. However, if employers can prove that such alleged discrimination was made based upon other factors, the policy stand taken by the employer can be upheld.
While many state laws are similar to the federal laws protecting senior citizen employment, other state laws have differences. According to the Association for the Advancement of Retired Persons (AARP), some state laws protect employees in different age ranges, such as those younger than age 40.
Read More: What Is Job Discrimination?
The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), passed in 1967, protects senior citizens in the workforce as long as employment position requirements are met.
The Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is in charge of federal laws regarding the discrimination of a job applicant based on age and other factors.
Family Employment Practices Agencies (FEPAS) work with the EEOC to make sure senior citizen workers are protected under both state and federal laws.
Amy Michaeli began working as a newspaper feature writer and freelance writer in 2006. Most recently, Michaeli has written web content for Remilon LLC's educational resources division as well as eHow. Michaeli holds dual Bachelor of Sciences in journalism and social work from Eastern Michigan University located in Ypsilanti, Mich.