Professional services firm PwC agreed to pay $11.6 million and change its recruiting practices to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging age discrimination in hiring.
We've rounded up resources and articles from SHRM Online and other trusted outlets on the news.
Plaintiffs Claim Focus on College Recruiting Is Discriminatory
A group of applicants age 40 and older sued the company in 2016, claiming that PwC's recruiting efforts on college campuses was a violation of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA).
PwC has agreed to settle with roughly 5,000 applicants; advertise job opportunities to older workers; and refrain from asking applicants for graduation dates. The company denied any wrongdoing.
(Forbes)
Could College Recruitment Programs Be Considered Unlawful?
The lawsuit alleging "aggressive" recruitment of college students and recent graduates—to the exclusion of older job seekers—tested whether campus recruiting could make employers liable in age discrimination claims.
(SHRM Online)
Supreme Court Declines to Decide if ADEA Covers Job Applicants
Adding some confusion to the issue, the U.S. Supreme Court in 2019 left in place an appeals court decision that the ADEA does not apply to job applicants.
(SHRM Online)
What Does It Take to Prove Age Discrimination?
In consideration of another case, the high court also recently heard oral argument about the standard of proof under the ADEA.
(SHRM Online)
House Passes Age Discrimination Act
In January, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act, which would permit plaintiffs to sue for age discrimination even if age was not the sole cause of the challenged employment decision.
The U.S. Senate is not expected to pass the bill and the White House has announced it would veto it.
(SHRM Online)
Age Discrimination Persists
More than 50 years after Congress made it illegal for employers to discriminate against workers age 40 or older, new data shows that more than half of older U.S. workers are pushed out of longtime jobs before they choose to retire.
(SHRM Online)