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NEWS > BUSINESS > AARP SUED FOR AGE DISCRIMINATION

AARP SUED FOR AGE DISCRIMINATION

August 20 2008

Lansing, MI – A 63 year old Michigan woman has filed a lawsuit against the American Association of Retired Persons claiming age discrimination. Bonita Brady claims she has been passed over for at least nine job opportunities since joining the organization. She is claiming $25,000 in damages.

“The AARP is involved in systematic exclusion of certain candidates from their hiring practices. Their hiring and referral procedures are manipulated in such a way as to be beneficial to the employer not to the employee,” said Brady’s lawyer. “It is the responsibility of the AARP, their stated mandate it fact, to aid the elderly in acquiring gainful employment based on their age. Issues such as qualifications, trustworthiness, interview ability, these things should not be a factor. My client went to the AARP because she no longer had a job and was of age. The organization should have got her employment based solely on that basis.”

The AARP had no statement on the lawsuit, nor on the particulars of the Brady case. The stated charter of the organization is to aid seniors in gaining and maintaining an ability to earn a living and to protect seniors in need, though not to guarantee employment.

“What we do is give people the tools to succeed. We help prepare resumes, we coach for interviews, and we set up interviews where we can. Ultimately though it is the responsibility of each individual to actually acquire employment, we cannot oblige an employer to hire an individual. There comes a point where our participation ends,” a spokesperson for the organization stated.

While neither side is speaking beyond their official statements, Scrape News was able to speak to a insider who claimed to work for the organization.

“From what I know she was turned down for nine jobs, though she only applied for nine. Even high school kids know you need to drop more resumes than that. We try to give people as many opportunities as we can but it’s up to the individual to actually apply and get the job. That said, we are trying to skew a little younger. There are only so many jobs out there and the population isn’t getting any younger. Would we make more of an effort for a 50 year over a 63 year old? Yeah, probably. The reality is the younger an individual is the more working years they have and that is much better for employers. It is important for us to have a good relationship with our employer partners, for the good of everyone. That applies to our own hiring practices as well. There are realities here that some people just can’t seem to get a grasp on. Especially the elderly, ‘cause they are a little, you know. The brain just doesn’t work as well after a certain age.”

With additional reporting from the Associated Press.

William Ashford, Business Correspondent

NEWS > BUSINESS > AARP SUED FOR AGE DISCRIMINATION