It is Illegal for Employers to Discriminate against Employees based on Age

​The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a lawsuit against General Motors (GM) and the international union of United Auto Workers violated federal law when they negotiated a collective bargaining agreement which limited short-term disability payments to older workers who receive Social Security Retirement benefits. According to the lawsuit, since at least 2019, the agreement between the parties provided that GM will pay weekly benefits to employees who miss work due to sickness or injury. But GM paid less to employees who were entitled, by their age, to full retirement benefits through Social Security program, leaving workers aged 66 and older with fewer benefits than younger coworkers. This conduct violated the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, as amended by the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act (OWBPA), which prohibits employers from discriminating against individuals aged 40 and older in compensations, terms, conditions, and privileges of employment, including employee benefits, because of their age. See EEOC v. General Motors, LLC, and International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, Case No. 4:25-cv-00010 (S.D. Ind.).