For each of the scenarios below, determine whether the employer is likely to be discriminating against a person because of age: a. A young lawyer who just finished work on a multimillion-dollar development deal downtown is hired by an economic development firm in lieu of an older lawyer who works on litigation. b. A large retail outlet hires a 30-year-old woman to greet customers instead of an 80-year-old woman who has been greeting customers in other stores for a decade. c. The owner of a local, hip smoothie bar in a university town just fired a graduate student who had worked at the bar for three years and instead hired a college sophomore.

Answer and Explanation:

In the U.S., the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is the authority protecting individuals from discrimination at work in any kind because of race, gender, age, religion, ethnicity, nationality, language, sexual orientation, impairment differences or any other type of unfair treatment not related to work itself.

Age discrimination could take place when certain groups of individuals are valued more than others because of their youth or because their white hair represents experience. In any situation, unequal opportunities are given which must be sanctioned. Thus:

A) A young lawyer who just finished work on a multimillion-dollar development deal downtown is hired by an economic development firm in lieu of an older lawyer who works on litigation.  

This example does not represent discrimination because the election is based on performance rather than age.

B) A large retail outlet hires a 30-year-old woman to greet customers instead of an 80-year-old woman who has been greeting customers in other stores for a decade.  

This example reflects discrimination because a younger woman is hired mainly based on her age rather than her expertise.

C) The owner of a local, hip smoothie bar in a university town just fired a graduate student who had worked at the bar for three years and instead hired a college sophomore.

This example represents discrimination since a younger student is hired to replace another student who was in the last year of university.