To whom does the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 apply?

The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA) specifically protects individuals who are 40 years of age or older from employment discrimination based on age. The ADEA applies to employers that have 20 or more employees. This threshold is significant because it ensures that the law applies to larger employers, where the potential for discriminatory practices based on age is more likely to have a broader impact on the workforce and labor market.

The act covers various aspects of employment, including hiring, promotion, discharge, benefits, and other conditions of employment. By setting the minimum employee requirement at 20, the ADEA targets larger businesses that can more feasibly implement and enforce anti-discrimination policies.

In contrast, businesses with less than 20 employees are not subject to the provisions of the ADEA, as the act's protections are intended to apply to more established businesses that have a greater influence on employment standards within their communities. Similarly, the ADEA applies to both for-profit and non-profit organizations that meet the employee size requirement, not exclusively to non-profits. This broader coverage reinforces the intent of the act to promote fair treatment of older workers in the employment arena, particularly in larger organizations that are likely to have more complex hiring and employment practices.