The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the agency charged with enforcing the federal laws that prohibit employment discrimination, recently issued a press release regarding its decision to file suit against Texas Roadhouse, a restaurant chain.
According to the EEOC, Texas Roadhouse has engaged in a nationwide pattern of age discrimination in hiring hourly “front of the house” employees. The federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act prohibits an employer from denying a job to a qualified applicant who is over the age of 40 on account of the applicant’s age.
The EEOC alleges that Texas Roadhouse has hired few “front of the house” employees who are over the age of 40 and has instructed its managers to hire younger applicants. Texas Roadhouse hiring officials also allegedly told applicants that they “seem older to be applying” for particular jobs and that “there are younger people here who can grow with the company.” The EEOC noted that applicants are rarely told that they have been denied a job because of their age and that the EEOC acts aggressively to remedy a violation when it uncovers evidence that an applicant’s age motivated an employer to refuse to hire an otherwise qualified applicant.
Discriminating against a worker based on the worker’s age is illegal. To discuss age discrimination with a discrimination lawyer, contact the employment law attorneys of Clouse Dunn LLP at info@clousedunn.com.