CAR RENTAL COMPANY WOULDN’T HIRE OLDER CANDIDATES AS MANAGEMENT TRAINEES
On September 11, 2023, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced that it had filed a federal lawsuit against Enterprise Leasing Company of Florida -- operator of National, Enterprise and Alamo car rentals – alleging that the entity had engaged in discriminatory conduct by refusing to hire older workers for management trainee positions.
Apparently, the company targeted college graduates, and under-hired older applicants -- with under 2% of its management trainees being 40 or older.
Believing that such conduct violated the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), the EEOC filed civil litigation in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, Fort Lauderdale Division (EEOC v. Enterprise Leasing Company of Florida, LLC, Case No. 0:23-cv-61744), seeking monetary damages and injunctive relief.
In a written statement, Robert Weisberg, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Miami District, noted that “This case underscores the need for the EEOC to combat ageism and break down barriers to employment for older workers …. The agency is committed to protecting the rights of job applicants to ensure that hiring decisions are not based on age, but on qualifications.”
Enterprise was far from enterprising here ….
# # #