A lawsuit by three older Circuit City employees, alleging that the retailer violated California age-discrimination laws by laying them off because they were earning too much, is part of a surge in age-bias complaints from disgruntled baby boomers.
Plaintiffs Daniel Weidler, 57, Michael Yezback, 59, and Eloise Garcia, 66, all from Circuit City’s Oxnard store, were laid off last week among 3,400 workers nationally. Those employees were earning “well above the market-based salary range for their role,” according to a company statement, and will be replaced with lower-paid new hires.
Valued for their skills and abilities to connect with customers, these more-experienced employees tend to earn more than younger, less-seasoned workers. Some employers are going out of their way to retain these workers.
But other employers, such as Circuit City, are letting them go to cut costs – prompting lawsuits from employees contending that they are being picked on because of their age.
Diana Scott, a Santa Monica lawyer who represents employers, said she has seen a 50 percent increase in age-bias cases over the past three years. Other lawyers have reported similar surges.
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