Hiring Decisions Based on Age

In general, you may not consider an applicant's age when making hiring decisions. 

There are limited exceptions to this rule. In limited circumstances, you may consider an applicant's age when making hiring decisions.

You may give special hiring preference to applicants because of their older age. For example, a small retirement community may hire a 65 year old applicant instead of a 40 year old applicant to conduct tours, develop marketing tools, and plan events because it believes that the older applicant better represents and understands the target demographic.

You may also consider an applicant's age to comply with federal regulations. For example, a small airline company may decline to hire a 65 year old applicant for a commercial passenger pilot job because the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration imposes a mandatory retirement age of 65 for these positions.

These rules can be complicated. You may want to consult a lawyer or contact the EEOC for assistance.

See also:

Hiring Decisions Based on Sex

Hiring Decisions Based on Religion

Hiring Decisions Based on Disability

Hiring Practices That Have a Negative Effect on Certain Applicants

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