The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) prohibits any
employer from refusing to hire, discharge, or otherwise
discriminate against any individual because of age. The act
covers compensation, terms, conditions and other privileges of
employment including health care benefits. This act specifically
prohibits age-based discrimination against employees who are at
least 40 years of age. The purpose of the act is to promote the
employment of older persons and to prohibit any arbitrary age
discrimination in employment. The roots of the ADEA can be
traced back to 1964, when the U.S. government enacted Title VII
of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. This act radically changed working
life in the United States. The core of Title VII was to prohibit
discrimination in employment based on race, color, sex, national
origin, or religion. This statute provided a way for women and
minorities, in particular, to challenge barriers that limited
equal opportunities in organizations. States adopted similar
legislation as well. One