HR: Supreme Court on Age Discrimination

According to a post from SHRM (6/22/09), a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court makes it more difficult for workers to prove in court their claims that they were the targets of workplace discrimination because of their age. In a 5-4 decision, the high court ruled that, in a case alleging disparate treatment in violation of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the worker must prove that age was the decisive factor in the action taken by the employer, even if there is evidence that age played some role in the employer's decision.

Comment: The ruling was a Supreme Court typical 5-4 but in the time when Baby Boomers are facing the challenges that all job seekers are facing today, it's interesting to note. It's particularly interesting because of the element saying the worker must prove that age was the decisive factor.