HR Specialist: Employment Law

Clear, common-sense employment law advice that cuts directly to the bottom line. An attorney may say what the law is – but the monthly issues of HR Specialist: Employment Law and its related weekly e-letters explain what managers and human resource professionals should do that is both safe and practical in the real world of business. Learn more about HR Specialist: Employment Law and the two free reports you'll get when you subscribe...

Age-discrimination lawsuits have shot up in recent years, climbing 29% last year alone. But a recent pro-business ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court will make it harder for employees to prove age bias in the workplace (see Pair of Supreme Court rulings redefine race, age bias).

Employee advocacy groups are crying foul. Speaking at an EEOC hearing last month, they complained that the ruling has “decimated” the effect of age-discrimination laws. The EEOC is listening. It promised to consider new regulations that would clarify how age-bias laws should be enforced.

And Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), chairman of the Senate Judiciary committee, said Congress will look at bolstering age-discrimination laws in light of the court’s ruling (as it did this year with pay-discrimination laws after the Ledbetter court decision).