Court Opinion

ID: 9475922
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 05:42:42.304642+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:45:01.739933
License: Public Domain

HATCHETT, Circuit Judge,
dissenting:
I respectfully dissent. In 1967, Congress enacted the ADEA “[t]o promote employment of older persons based on their ability rather than age; to prohibit arbitrary age discrimination in employment; [and] to help employers and workers find ways of meeting problems arising from the impact of age on employment.” 29 U.S.C. § 621(b).1 The ADEA prohibits denial of employment by an employer solely on the basis of an applicant’s age. 29 U.S.C. § 623(a).2
Pan Am openly concedes denial of employment to Lopez because of an “imposed age requirement.” Absent a legal justification for denying Lopez employment, Pan Am clearly violated the dictates of the ADEA. 29 U.S.C. § 623(a). Pan Am contends that 29 U.S.C. § 626(b), by declaring all acts prohibited under the ADEA as prohibited acts under 29 U.S.C. § 215 of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), incorporates an exemption contained in 29 U.S.C. § 213(f) of the FLSA.3 Section 213(f), however, specifically cites those provisions, sections 206, 207, 211, and 212, which are afforded the exemption. Section 215 is not included as a section afforded the FLSA exemption. Thus, no exemption applies to actions arising under the ADEA.
The purpose of precluding the extraterritorial application of the ADEA is to avoid possible conflict with the laws of foreign nations. Pheiffer v. Wm. Wrigley, Jr. Company, 755 F.2d 554 (7th Cir.1985); Cleary v. U.S. Lines, Inc., 728 F.2d 607 (3d *1121Cir.1984); Zahoruek v. Arthur Young Co., 750 F.2d 827 (10th Cir.1984). The issue of extraterritorial application of the ADEA is not at issue in this case because Lopez never became an employee working in a foreign country, as defined in 29 U.S.C. § 630. Thus, the possibility of the ADEA conflicting with foreign laws never arose. Wolf v. J.I. Case Co., 617 F.Supp. 858 (E.D.Wis.1985).
The majority seems to miss the point that nothing extra-territorial is involved in this case. This case involves a United States corporation and a United States citizen, where the application, interview, and processing of the application all occurred in the United States. Furthermore, the proposed employment agreement stated that the “Home Base Office” for all payroll actions, including hiring would be in the United States. The majority, in effect, holds that prior to the 1984 amendment the ADEA did not apply to United States employers acting in the United States if any foreign involvement was anticipated during the course of the employee’s tenure. In 1984, Congress amended the ADEA in order to clarify that the “term ‘employee’ includes an individual who is a citizen of the United States employed by an employer in a work place in a foreign country.” 29 U.S.C. § 630(f). I can only conclude that the law prior to 1984 required American employers doing business in the United States to conduct their affairs in accordance with the laws of the United States without regard to possible future consequences of their actions in a foreign country.

. Section 621(b) provides:
(b) It is therefore the purpose of this chapter to promote employment of older persons based on their ability rather than age; to prohibit arbitrary age discrimination in employment; to help employers and workers find ways of meeting problems arising from the impact of age on employment.

. Section 623(a) provides:
(a) Employer practices
It shall be unlawful for an employer—
(1) to fail or refuse to hire or to discharge any individual or otherwise discriminate against any individual with respect to his compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, because of such individual’s age;
(2) to limit, segregate, or classify his employees in any way which would deprive or tend to deprive any individual of employment opportunities or otherwise adversely affect his status as an employee, because of such individual’s age; or
(3) to reduce the wage rate of any employee in order to comply with this chapter.

. Section 213(f) provides, in relevant part:
(f) The provisions of sections 206, 207, 211 and 212 of this title shall not apply with respect to any employee whose services during the workweek are performed in a workplace within a foreign country or within territory under the jurisdiction of the United States____