- J&M Industries, Inc. has agreed to pay a former employee $105,000 in back pay and damages after she was fired for refusing to retire at 65, violating federal age-discrimination laws.
- The employee was repeatedly asked about her retirement plans and was ultimately fired, with the company claiming her role was being eliminated due to economic uncertainty. However, they promptly hired a younger replacement for the same position.
- As part of the settlement, J&M Industries will pay back pay and damages, revise policies, provide training, and affirm compliance with the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. The EEOC filed the lawsuit in the Eastern District of Louisiana.
Additional Coverage:
- A company has to pay a woman $105,000 in back pay and damages after firing her when she refused to retire at 65 (businessinsider.com)
A company has agreed to pay a former employee $105,000 in back pay and damages after she was fired for refusing to retire at 65, according to the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The company, J&M Industries, Inc., a manufacturing and distribution company in Louisiana, violated federal age-discrimination laws, as stated in a discrimination lawsuit filed by the EEOC. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act protects individuals aged 40 or older from age-based discrimination.
The EEOC’s lawsuit revealed that a company manager repeatedly asked the employee about her retirement plans as she approached her 65th birthday. When she indicated that she had no immediate plans to retire, the company claimed that her role as a purchasing agent was being eliminated due to economic uncertainty. However, within a month, the company hired a man in his 30s for the same role that was supposedly being eliminated. The company denied firing the woman due to her age and stated that the replacement had more significant duties.
As part of the settlement, J&M Industries agreed to pay $105,000 in back pay and damages, provide training, revise policies, report regularly to the EEOC, and post a notice affirming compliance with the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. The EEOC filed the lawsuit in the Eastern District of Louisiana. Rudy Sustaita, the regional attorney for the EEOC’s Houston District Office, stated that the resolution serves the public interest, provides relief for the former employee, and helps protect others from age discrimination. J&M Industries has not yet commented on the matter.