Date of Defense

4-15-2004

Department

Management

First Advisor

Dan Farrell, Management

Abstract

Prejudice is commonly defined as an adverse opinion or leaning formed without just grounds or before sufficient knowledge. By this definition it would be difficult to argue with the notion that we are all prejudiced. Age discrimination in employment is defined as "to fail or refuse to hire or to discharge any individual or otherwise discriminate against any individual with respect to his compensation, terms, conditions, privileges of employment, because of such individual's age" (Heneman & Judge, 2002). Because of its increasing prevalence and impact on the workforce this form of prejudiced behavior was banned by the federal government in 1967. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act set forth a broad set of rules to regulate the behavior of organizations and outline a protected class. Over the past thirty-seven years the ADEA has been met with mixed reviews. While it has provided recourse for many, it remains far from perfect, and age discrimination is far from being eliminated. With the ever-aging state of the American population in mind, it is an ideal time to analyze specifics of the ADEA, its benefits and drawbacks, and its future direction.

Access Setting

Honors Thesis-Campus Only

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