For years, Raytheon has systematically discriminated against older workers by wording job postings in ways that effectively exclude people over 40 from candidates or discourage them from applying for open positions at the defense contractor, a new proposed class action lawsuit alleges.
In a lawsuit filed Tuesday, the AARP Foundation alleges that Raytheon violated federal and state laws that protect against age discrimination in hiring, including by targeting job openings only to recent college graduates or applicants with less than 24 months of relevant work experience. Age discrimination in hiring is widespread in the U.S., AARP said, adding that the complaint is intended to highlight that such practices are illegal.
“Raytheon’s recent graduate hiring requirement intentionally and effectively excludes nearly all older workers from qualifying for, competing for, and obtaining many jobs at Raytheon,” the AARP Foundation alleges in the lawsuit, which the advocacy group filed in Massachusetts state court . “And Raytheon routinely posts job openings for many jobs where the only basic qualification is a recent college graduate and where Raytheon unlawfully signals a preference for younger workers and discriminates against older workers and discourages older workers from applying.”
Raytheon did not immediately respond to CBS MoneyWatch’s request for comment.
Attorneys for the lead plaintiff in the case, 67-year-old Virginia resident Mark Goldstein, noted that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission found in 2021 that Raytheon’s hiring practices violated the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and accused it company to continue to reject and discourage older workers. applicants simply based on age.
“This is a fairly common practice that we see in many different industries,” Peter Romer-Friedman, attorney for the plaintiff, told CBS MoneyWatch.
AARP, or the American Association of Retired Persons, is a nonprofit organization that represents the interests of people over the age of 50. AARP Foundation is the charitable arm of the organization.
“Categorically shielded”
More specifically, many Raytheon job postings contain phrases such as “recent graduate” or “newly graduated,” depending on the charge. Postings on the company’s career site and other job boards often require applicants to have less than one or two years of experience to meet the company’s qualifications.
“At Raytheon in particular, we have seen over the past five to six years that the company is routinely posting vacancies for a range of positions in various areas where the basic qualification is that the person must have recently graduated from university, or, if he or she has graduated , must have less than 24 months of experience,” Romer-Friedman said.
According to the complaint, “the vast majority of qualified older employees are categorically excluded by Raytheon based solely on their year of graduation, which Raytheon requires to be provided on their job applications, either by an automated system or by an employee who can easily estimate the age of an applicant with such information.”
Between 2019 and 2023, Goldstein applied for at least seven positions at Raytheon, the lawsuit says. In both cases, he reportedly met all job requirements, except that he was not a recent college graduate and had decades of relevant work experience.
The plaintiffs are seeking a change in Raytheon’s hiring practices, as well as compensation for people who were denied jobs or deterred from applying.
Up to the workers
The positions Goldstein applied for ranged in pay from $53,000 to $103,000 per year. But a job with more junior responsibilities and lower pay should not disqualify older applicants from being considered for the position, Romer-Friedman said.
“It wouldn’t be surprising if someone with more experience had an entry-level job at a large company like Raytheon, where a lower-level job can still pay $103,000,” the attorney said, adding that it is on the table . to applicants if they are willing to work for a lower wage.
“The point of the law is to let the people make the decision for themselves — not for the employer to assume you’re over 40. Therefore, this job won’t appeal to you,” said William Alvarado Rivera, senior vice president for litigation . at AARP Foundation, CBS told MoneyWatch.
Discrimination against older workers typically stems from stereotypes that suggest they are not up to date with the latest technology, do not learn as well or as quickly as younger workers, or are close to retirement, Rivera noted.
“There are a lot of negative stereotypes about getting older, and inevitably about not being as fast or agile or energetic once you get to a certain point, and that point seems to get lower and lower,” he said.
