Is discussing ages in a dept. meeting legal?

This week our new department head, with great fanfare, held a department meeting and announced a total reorganization of the whole department, including new reporting relationships, job descriptions and titles, and increased planning activities. Enough right there to get stressed about without the next thing. One of the plans he announced is ramped up cross training and contingency for retirements and deaths due to the number of people in the department in their 50's and 60's He didn't name names, but he listed how many people were in each category, and used one of us as an example: If Sally retired or got hit by a bus...etc.

I think the younger people were as offended as the older people. I've heard comment from them about how stupid it was. Does anyone know if this is illegal?

Then to make things worse, HIS boss apologized profusely to someone who got upset, thinking it was the age comment that made her upset, although it was really something else stupid that they did (I won't even go into that here.) So several executives one after another apologized to her about the age comments, and have said nothing at all to the rest of us.

Boy am I glad it's Friday. I don't think I could make myself go back another day.:(

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Originally Posted by carpaltunnel

One of the plans he announced is ramped up cross training and contingency for retirements and deaths due to the number of people in the department in their 50's and 60's He didn't name names, but he listed how many people were in each category, and used one of us as an example: If Sally retired or got hit by a bus...etc.

I think the younger people were as offended as the older people. I've heard comment from them about how stupid it was. Does anyone know if this is illegal?

Then to make things worse, HIS boss apologized profusely to someone who got upset, thinking it was the age comment that made her upset, although it was really something else stupid that they did (I won't even go into that here.) So several executives one after another apologized to her about the age comments, and have said nothing at all to the rest of us.

Boy am I glad it's Friday. I don't think I could make myself go back another day.:(

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Sounds chaotic at that meeting. What a way to end the work wk.

Was it illegal? I think if any of the attending employees at meeting, complained to our provincial human rights tribunal (which covers B.C.Human Rights Code complaints /cases on hiring, workplace treatment, and housing etc.) claimant would have been heard with seriousness.

To name employees in age brackets is actually...unnecessary..when you think about it. It serves no purpose. Only the human resources and benefts personnel need to know to assist employees in understanding their access/calculation of earned benefits, pension, etc.

Was it legal? I don't know. Was it offensive? Oh yeah.

If discussion turned at my job to "the following employees are getting a little old in the tooth, we should make plans in case they kick the bucket" .... and those employees were demoted, fired ... yeah, someone would take that personal and probably sue.

But meanwhile age should not be discussed unless there's cake involved. :p

ADEA protects employees between the ages of 40-70. I'd DEFINITELY speak to your company's EEO officer.

"...used one of us as an example: If Sally retired or got hit by a bus...etc."

Does he think that young people can't be hit by buses? If that's true, I'd better get out there and begin playing in traffic while I still can.

Talk to your EEO officer. More and more, I've seen a preference for folks under 35 at work, and subtle and obvious discrimination against folks over forty.