Not true in the US. They could ban anyone born in the entire month of April, or anyone who "looks like a pot smoker" if they wanted to.
Applicants, employees and former employees are ONLY protected from employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, age (40 or older), disability and genetic information (including family medical history).
I wonder if an argument could be made that birthdate is a component of your genetic information including family medical history? It is also potentially age discrimination?
Yeah we typically thing age discrimination is saying we only hire people between 20-40y/o but it would also cover it if you said “I won’t hire someone 21 years old only” and still applies to banning someone 21.5 years old. And 21 years and 6 months and 27 days old.
Same applies if I ban anyone with an age divisible by 3. It’s a group of people, but if their age has anything to do with why you aren’t hiring them then I’d say this applies.
Because how old someone is is relative to the current time. And that's the wording that the commenter used: People who are x years, y months, and z days old. The next day those same people will be a day older.
Say the discrimination was about people born on Dec 20 instead of April, in that case they (where I am) are currently X years, 11 months, and 30 days old, and tomorrow is their birthday.
I just realized that they did calculate it the wrong direction though, the 4/20 peeps are 3 months and 30 or 29 days old today (not sure on that) today.
Creative thoughts, but the exact definitions don't track (from GINA):
Genetic information.--
(A) In general.--The term "genetic information" means, with respect to any individual, information about--
(i) such individual's genetic tests,
(ii) the genetic tests of family members of such individual, and
(iii) the manifestation of a disease or disorder in family members of such individual.
(B) Inclusion of genetic services and participation in genetic research.--Such term includes, with respect to any individual, any request for, or receipt of, genetic services, or participation in clinical research which includes genetic services, by such individual or any family member of such individual.
(C) Exclusions.--The term "genetic information" shall not include information about the sex or age of any individual.
Are you being sarcastic? Or does being rejected for a job for being 'too young' fall under a different discrimination law?
(Genuine question, i have no idea)
I doubt it - your age isn't determined by your genetics. The family medical history part is so that someone doesn't fire you (or not hire you) for things like your mom having a kind of cancer that is hereditary. As a manager, if one of my employees tells me their mom has cancer, I'm not allowed to ask what kind.
It wouldn't get anywhere in the US. Age is the closest protected class, but only applies to over 40 in the US. Discrimination based on month and day of birth isn't actually illegal.
I honestly think there's a gray area here and it's worth talking to a lawyer if anything. There are certainly some protections for peoples under 40. Being denied a promotion because you're "too young" is certainly a protection. The catch is you have to prove it.
This case is easy to prove though if there are any laws over this.
Edit: but now that I think about it, this is only really a protection if you're already hired at the place. If you just slam the door on people before they can get in, discrimination seems to be legal.
I believe it's legal in the US to pass someone over for promotion because they're too young. The only protected class related to age is being over 40 (potentially different in some states).
but now that I think about it, this is only really a protection if you’re already hired at the place. If you just slam the door on people before they can get in, discrimination seems to be legal.
Pretty sure that protection so applies to the application process. Can't have places rejecting every non-white candidate for being the wrong race. The problem is proving that you were rejected for a BS reason is really hard because they usually don't flat out say it, and especially not in writing
Being denied a promotion because you're "too young" is certainly a protection.
It's not actually. Age protections really do only apply to old people. If the person in the post is over 40 though, and got rejected for their birthday, they could probably at least get the company to overturn the rejection. Not sure how well they'd do in court. Most of this stuff doesn't get enforced well, and that one is already a stretch
Not hard to extrapolate a case from this. Imagine a landlord refusing to rent because you're a "scorpio" or an employer turning you down because they're looking for a "dog" person.
Agreed. A lot of people in this thread are confusing what they believe should be illegal discrimination with what is actually illegal discrimination. Or they believe discrimination laws are more broadly encompassing than they are. There are a lot of kinds of discrimination that most of us agree is bad and shouldn’t be allowed… but unfortunately is not illegal.
Exactly. And though there are protected classes at the federal level, there are also some at the state level and they vary. I'm in California, and we have more than most. If you're a business owner or manager, you have to know what they are where you are or it can be really bad.