Exemptions and Employer Defenses under the ADEA

The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (or ADEA) is the key federal law designed to meet the problem of workplace age discrimination. While the Act has language prohibiting age discrimination, it also creates a myriad of exemptions and employer defenses limiting the application of the prohibition. This article considers the exemptions and defenses. It provides perspective on the force of the Act.