WASHINGTON— Today, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1230, the Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act. The bill restores anti-discrimination protections for older Americans in the workplace.

“As more older Americans remain in the workforce due to rising living costs and inadequate retirement savings, they are much more susceptible to age-based discrimination,” said Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva. “This legislation strengthens anti-discrimination protections previously gutted by the Supreme Court and ensures that older Americans still in the workforce receive the protections they deserve.”

According to AARP, approximately 3 in 5 workers age 45 and older had seen or experienced age discrimination on the job. In 2009, the Supreme Court case Gross v. FBL Financial Service, Inc. significantly weakened protections for older Americans and forced them to prove that age was the deciding factor for any discriminatory action taken by the employer.

“No worker should be treated differently or denied a job based on their age,” continued Rep. Grijalva. “This legislation safeguards the rights of older Americans in the workplace and sends a strong message to employers that they will face consequences for willingly discriminating against someone based on their age.”

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