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At 67, I’m being discriminated against for my age — what can I do?

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Published Nov. 5, 2023, 8:30 a.m. ET

I’m an experienced, unemployed front doorman. I’ve had lots of interviews and one in particular was going well until I was asked my age. I’m 67, but isn’t it illegal to ask? Then they said they were going to interview more people. I’m taking my case to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, but I still need a job. Any advice?

I’m sorry that you lost your job and are having difficulty finding another. And I can’t deny that age may have been a factor in the company’s decision not to hire you.

The Age Discrimination in Employment law prevents employers from taking adverse employment action based on age for anyone 40 and older, but just because you fall into a protected class doesn’t mean that the decision about your employment was due to your age. And the law doesn’t specifically prohibit employers from asking about age, only that age can’t be a factor in the decision. Taking your case to the EEOC was the right next step. Good doormen are hard to find, and it is a profession where working into your 70s and beyond is not unusual. It’s not like it is a physically demanding job. (That crack is going to cost me an extra tip with my guys this year!) Don’t give up. Show up projecting the same image that companies want in their doorman — you should be able to land something soon.

Older office worker
Even with the Age Discrimination in Employment law, employers can still ask your age. Getty Images/iStockphoto

It’s college application time and I am stressed for my daughter. My question: Is the major that she declares important when looking for a job?

First, I’m in the same boat as you so I feel you. And there definitely needs to be a support group not just for the students going through the process but the parents too. Sometimes they are more stressed than their kids, and transfer that stress to them. Here’s what I can tell you. I guarantee that whatever major she declares is not going to have any impact on her when she graduates. Also, I guarantee that there is a right school for everyone. Whatever she wants to do for a profession, she will be able to do, no matter which school she gets in to. So do both of you a favor and make some cookies and hot chocolate when you are working on those essays, and make it fun.

Gregory Giangrande has over 25 years of experience as a chief human resources executive. Hear Greg Wed. at 9:35 a.m. on iHeartRadio 710 WOR with Len Berman and Michael Riedel. Email: GoToGreg@NYPost.com. Follow: GoToGreg.com and on Twitter: @GregGiangrande