Can’t Refuse To Hire The Elderly Because Of Fear That They Will Retire Soon

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission recently announced that it settled a lawsuit alleging age discrimination with Ruby Tuesday for $45,000.  The EEOC’s lawsuit claimed that Ruby Tuesday refused to hire a qualified applicant because of his age.  Although the applicant had over twenty years of experience working in the food and beverage industry, Ruby Tuesday told him that it was looking for a candidate who could “maximize longevity.”  When a job applicant is over the age of forty, it is illegal for companies to refuse to hire that applicant because of age.  See EEOC v. Ruby Tuesday, Inc., No. 0:17-cv-60970 (S.D. Fla.).