Age Discrimination (ADEA) Guides

Plain-language guides written and reviewed by editorial staff with experience in employment law and age discrimination litigation. Each guide provides the practical and legal context behind ADEA claims — what the law requires, how courts interpret it, what damages are available, and what steps to take to protect your rights.

How ADEA Damages Work

A detailed guide to the ADEA’s damage framework under 29 U.S.C. §§ 621–634: back pay calculation, the liquidated damages doubling provision for willful violations, the willfulness standard from Hazen Paper, front pay and reinstatement, and attorney fees. Explains how each component is calculated and what determines whether liquidated damages apply.

Types of Age Discrimination

The ADEA’s primary claim categories — disparate treatment, disparate impact, harassment, retaliation, and constructive discharge — with the legal standards, evidence types, and defenses applicable to each. Covers the but-for causation standard from Gross v. FBL Financial and the “reasonable factors other than age” defense to disparate impact claims.

What to Do After Age Discrimination

Practical step-by-step guidance: documenting the violation, preserving comparator evidence, filing an EEOC charge before the 180/300-day deadline, considering state law claims, and working with employment counsel. Covers the OWBPA severance waiver validity requirements.

Common ADEA Misconceptions

Six widely held misunderstandings about age discrimination law: employer coverage, the causation standard, available damages, the weight of coworker comments, the liquidated damages standard, and how the ADEA differs from Title VII. Each examined against what the statute and case law actually provide.

• Claim types overview — disparate treatment, disparate impact, harassment, retaliation
• Calculator methodology — documented back pay, liquidated damages, and front pay formulas
• FAQ — EEOC deadlines, severance waivers, the but-for standard

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