Can Your Employer Force You to Retire?
Even the least sensational news reports these days say that many Americans will never be able to afford a comfortable retirement. Out of economic necessity, it has become more and more common for people to continue working beyond the age of 65, the age at which seniors become eligible for Medicare, or even 70, the maximum age at which you can begin receiving Social Security checks. With prices high and wages stagnant, an increasing number of households need more than the income of two adults who work full-time just to make ends meet, so children receive financial support from their parents as well as their grandparents. The vast majority of professions in the United States do not have a mandatory retirement age, and you have the right to continue working until you choose to retire. If your employer is pressuring you to retire before you are ready, contact a Los Angeles age discrimination lawyer.
Pressuring an Employee to Retire Is Often a Case of Age Discrimination
Pursuant to the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), employers cannot require employees to retire upon reaching a certain age. The only exceptions are firefighters, national park rangers and federal law enforcement officers, who must retire at age 57, air traffic controllers, who may not work past age 61, and airline pilots and State Department employees, who must retire at age 65. As of July 2023, the President of the United States is 80 years old, and four U.S. Supreme Court justices are above the age of 65.
When an employer tries to pressure you to retire, it is usually an obvious case of discrimination. For example, it is employment discrimination if, because of your age or another protected characteristic (for example, race, sex, or religion), your employer reduces your work hours or your pay. It is also discrimination if your employer makes derogatory comments about your age or frequently reminds you that you are old enough to retire.
Retirement Is Not a Substitute for Disability Discrimination
Age is not the only factor that determines when people retire. Some retire as soon as they are eligible for Social Security benefits and Medicare, while others continue working for as long as their health allows. You have the right to continue working even if you are not the poster child for physical fitness; millions of Americans with chronic illnesses are currently employed. The right to disability accommodations applies, regardless of your age. If your doctor advises you that you are healthy enough to work, even if you require an accommodation, it is not your employer’s business to disagree, nor is it your employer’s business to ask more questions about your health than the law allows.
Speak With a Los Angeles Employment Discrimination Lawyer
A Los Angeles employment discrimination lawyer can help you if you are experiencing age discrimination in the form of pressure to retire. Contact Litigation, P.C. in Los Angeles, California to discuss your situation or call (424)284-2401.
Source:
gobankingrates.com/retirement/planning/signs-your-employer-wants-you-to-retire/
