On October 5, 2016, the Eleventh Circuit held in Villarreal v. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., that an unsuccessful job applicant cannot sue a prospective employer under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) for a disparate impact claim. In so holding, the Eleventh Circuit reverses its November 30, 2015 decision holding the opposite.
The ADEA generally protects employees aged 40 and older from discrimination in employment on the basis of their age. A job applicant who is denied employment because of a practice that is discriminatory on its face, can sue under the ADEA under a disparate treatment claim, by proving that the employer acted with the intent of discriminating against the job applicant. However, Villarreal now forecloses the possibility that an applicant can state an ADEA claim against a practice that, while not discriminatory on its face, has the effect of disproportionately discriminating against persons aged 40 and older.
To read the rest of this article, visit the HRUSA page at http://blog.hrusa.com/blog/disparate-impact-does-not-protect-job-applicants/