Age Discrimination Lawyers in Orange County

Offering Legal Representation to Employees in a Protected Class

Being judged for your age can be upsetting, but being outright discriminated against for it in the workplace is even worse. After all, when you’re trying to make a living, being punished for a trait beyond your control is wrong. Whether you were fired or faced a hostile work environment due to age, you deserve legal help from skilled Orange County employment lawyers.

When you contact Odell Law, PLC, you can discuss your age discrimination claim with attorneys who are knowledgeable about the employment laws in California. If you’re ready to find out how to respond to age discrimination in the workplace, call our Orange County law group for a free consultation.

What Are the Age Discrimination Laws in California?

Age is one of several protected classes in California, so you might have an age discrimination claim if your employer has used your age to make employment decisions that adversely affect you. However, to be eligible to make this claim, you must be over the age of 40.

This is because both the California Fair Employment and Housing Act and the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act state that employers cannot treat employees over 40 differently than younger workers. These acts apply whether you have worked for your employer for years or just finished the hiring process and did not get the job. If you believe your age played a role in the employer’s decisions, you should talk to an Orange County lawyer with experience handling age discrimination cases.

To prove that your employer went against California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act and discriminated against you due to age, you must establish a few elements. First, you must be 40 or older. You also must have been adversely affected by the employment decision. Finally, you should be able to show that younger employees with the same or less experience as you have been treated more favorably by the employer. Skilled Orange County age discrimination lawyers will look for the evidence you need to prove your claim, so call our Orange County law group to schedule a free consultation today.

What Are Examples of Age Discrimination?

Age discrimination claims are meant to help protect employees from having to accept unfair treatment based on age. This kind of treatment comes in many forms, with the following being examples of age discrimination in the workplace:

• Hiring younger applicants over older, more qualified applicants
• Requesting younger applicants in job postings, such as by asking for recent graduates
• Giving younger employees promotions over older, experienced employees
• Laying off mostly older employees
• Failing to train older employees for specific roles
• Giving older workers undesirable job duties or tasks they will struggle with
• Making insulting comments focused on the employee’s age
• Creating a company culture revolving around youth, with social events and benefits meant to appeal only to younger people
• Terminating employees who have been working at the company for too long
• Creating a hostile work environment meant to persuade older employees to quit or retire
• Firing an experienced employee because their salary is too high
• Retaliating against employees who report age discrimination

If your employer or a company you applied to demonstrated any of these discriminatory actions, you should talk to a lawyer in the Orange County area. You may be able to initiate a lawsuit for age discrimination so you can recover damages while ensuring your employer is held responsible for wrongdoing. Contact our Orange County law firm for a free initial consultation.

What Should You Do If You’re a Victim of Age Discrimination?

You deserve the chance to seek justice if you were discriminated against for your age. No one should feel humiliated or unwanted in the workplace due to a protected characteristic, and their financial situation shouldn’t be affected by it, either. Whether you lost your job, were unable to get hired, or were harassed by coworkers, you should talk to an attorney.

Your first step should be to find out if you have a strong legal claim to make. A consultation with Orange County attorneys will give you this answer. When you get legal representation, an experienced lawyer will guide you through every step of the case, beginning with filing your complaint with the appropriate state or federal agency.

In fact, to take legal action against an employer for discrimination, you must contact either the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing or the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. They will review your case and decide if you should get a right-to-sue notice to file your lawsuit.

Your lawyer will assist with this, along with the rest of the phases of your case, including gathering evidence to prove your age was used against you in the workplace. If you’re ready to find out if you have a strong age discrimination claim, contact Odell Law, PLC for a free initial consultation with compassionate attorneys in the Orange County area.

How Can Age Discrimination Lawyers in Orange County Help You?

Employers should base their decisions on your job skills, experience, and attitude rather than your age. If you believe an employer mainly considered your age when deciding whether to hire, fire, or demote you, it’s time to pursue an age discrimination claim. Depending on the circumstances of your case, you could be compensated for lost wages, lost benefits, back pay, emotional distress, and other losses. Your Orange County attorneys will ensure you know what to expect before your case goes to court.

If you’re ready to learn more about your rights when it comes to your age, call our Orange County law offices to talk to skilled, caring attorneys. We’ll ensure you know how to identify and prove age discrimination, and then we’ll assist you in holding employers accountable for their discriminatory actions. Call 949-771-8173 to schedule your first meeting with our team.