Employers Should Not Ask Age Based Questions When Hiring

An aerospace components manufacturer, United Precision Products Co., recently settled a lawsuit that the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission had filed against it.  The EEOC’s lawsuit claimed that United Precision failed to hire a prospective employee because of his age (64).  The applicant sought work at United Precision through a staffing agency, however, during the interview process, United’s Precision’s plant supervisor asked for the prospective employee’s age, when he graduated high school, and his driver’s license.  After the interview, this same supervisor told the staffing agency that they were rejecting the applicant because he did not have the “desire” for the job. This alleged conduct is a violation of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act.  The ADEA prohibits employers from discriminating against employees or prospective employees due to their age.  See EEOC v. United Precision Products Co., No. 2:20-cv-10930 (S.D. Mich.).