To compete successfully against more youthful employees in the workplace, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. Some research has backed up the claim that age discrimination is beginning earlier. These days, with the rapid change in technology, the increase in specialized types of knowledge, people in their 40s are over the hill. If the economy goes bad, you're going to see a real upsurge in lawsuits. But proving age bias is extremely difficult, and that's why the majority of older workers who feel they've been discriminated against never file complaints.
Most workers settle out of court and retire early.
It's an intimidating process. A lot of these people don't get to that level. Steinhauser relates the story of one executive in his early 60s who went on vacation and returned to his office to find his belongings boxed up. He was reassigned to a new job with less responsibility, at first at the same salary. His younger replacement had no training in the field, Steinhauser says.