Latest news with #ageDiscrimination
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Indonesia bans age limits in hiring in bid for fairer job market
Indonesia is urging companies to remove age limits in job ads, reflecting growing regulatory scrutiny of discriminatory labour practices in Southeast Asia's largest economy. The Ministry of Manpower issued a circular signed on May 28 directing both domestic and foreign employers to eliminate age restrictions in recruitment efforts, including those targeting people with disabilities. Exceptions are allowed only when age is clearly relevant to the role – and even then, the criteria must not unfairly disadvantage applicants. 'These restrictions have long contributed to legitimising unemployment and poverty,' Deputy Minister of Manpower Immanuel Ebenezer said in a phone interview on Saturday. 'Employers want comfort, we will deliver that. We will eliminate thuggery and burdensome regulations. But we also ask for cooperation – to help our fellow citizens.' Labour unions welcomed the move as a step towards fairer hiring, but also called for regulations to enforce the directive. Employer groups, however, voiced concerns about practical implementation, warning that companies may now face an influx of applicants. Indonesia currently has more than 7 million unemployed people, with older jobseekers often facing barriers to re-entry. Jobseekers consult officers from the department of manpower during a job fair in Jakarta on May 22. Photo: AFP The circular is part of broader labour policy changes under President Prabowo Subianto. The government has also banned the practice of employers withholding workers' original diplomas and personal documents – a tactic critics say restricts labour mobility. These measures build on labour policy changes initiated under the previous administration, including the 2023 revision of Indonesia's job creation law. That revision met strong opposition from labour groups due to its perceived pro-business leanings.
Bloomberg
3 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Indonesia Joins Regional Push Against Age Bias in Job Market
Indonesia is urging companies to remove age limits in job ads, reflecting growing regulatory scrutiny of discriminatory labor practices in Southeast Asia's largest economy. The Ministry of Manpower issued a circular signed on May 28 directing both domestic and foreign employers to eliminate age restrictions in recruitment efforts, including those targeting people with disabilities. Exceptions are allowed only when age is clearly relevant to the role — and even then, the criteria must not unfairly disadvantage applicants.
Daily Mail
25-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Lawsuit alleges Workday is discriminating against over-40s
Major tech firm Workday is facing a collective action lawsuit alleging that a feature of its recruitment tech is discriminatory against applicants over 40. In 2024, Derek Mobley sued Workday, a company that provides tech to help firms with hiring and workforce management. He alleged that the company's job applicant screening algorithm meant that he was rejected by more than 100 jobs over seven years due to his age, race and disabilities. Mobley is a black man over the age of 40 who identifies as having anxiety and depression. Four other plaintiffs over the age of 40 have since joined him with allegations of age discrimination. Earlier this month, California district judge Rita Lin ruled the lawsuit could move forward as a nationwide collective action - similar to a class action. The plaintiffs claim that they submitted hundreds of applications to the software but were rejected every time - sometimes within a matter of minutes. According to court documents, they claim Workday's AI-based hiring tools 'disproportionately disqualifies individuals over the age of forty (40) from securing gainful employment.' Workday denies the allegations. Some 11,000 companies worldwide use Workday, which provides a platform for firms to post job openings and manage the recruitment process. It also offers a service called 'HiredScore AI,' which it says uses 'responsible AI' to grade the best candidates and cut down the time recruiters spend screening applicants, CNN reported. In a court filing opposing the allegations, Workday claims it does not screen prospective employees and that its tech does not make decisions on hiring. AI tools can help businesses manage a sudden influx of thousands of applications. But critics of the tech are concerned that AI can contain biases that may deter people from being hired based on factors such as their age, gender or race. The case is still in its early stages. But it serves as a warning that employers could be held accountable for algorithmic screening tools if they disproportionately harm certain groups - even if the bias is unintentional. For example, The American Civil Liberties Union has previously warned that AI hiring tools 'pose an enormous danger of exacerbating existing discrimination in the workplace.' In 2018, Amazon had to scrap a 'sexist' AI hiring tool after it taught itself to prefer male candidates over females. Mobley claims he kept being rejected, often without being offered an interview, despite having almost a decade of experience and having graduated cum laude from Morehouse College. According to court documents, he alleges he once submitted a job application at 12:55am and had already received a rejection by 1:50am. Another plaintiff, Jill Hughes, claimed she also received automated rejections for hundreds of roles 'often received within a few hours of applying or at odd times outside of business hours … indicating a human did not review the applications,' CNN reported. In some cases, she claims the rejection emails falsely said she did not meet the minimum requirements for the role. Mobley's original complaint claims: 'Algorithmic decision-making and data analytics are not, and should not be assumed to be, race neutral, disability neutral, or age neutral. 'Too often, they reinforce and even exacerbate historical and existing discrimination.' Judge Lin's order on May 16 will allow Mobley's lawyers to notify other people who may have similar claims against Workday to join the lawsuit, but the company can still ask the court to deal with the claims individually.
Daily Mail
23-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Bombshell lawsuit says major US HR firm is discriminating against over-40s
Major tech firm Workday is facing a collective action lawsuit alleging that a feature of its recruitment tech is discriminatory against applicants over 40. In 2024, Derek Mobley sued Workday, a company which provides tech to help firms with hiring and workforce management. He alleged that the company's job applicant screening algorithm meant that he was rejected by more than 100 jobs over seven years due to his age, race and disabilities. Mobley is a black man over the age of 40 who identifies as having anxiety and depression. Four other plaintiffs over the age of 40 have since joined him with allegations of age discrimination. Earlier this month, California district judge Rita Lin ruled the lawsuit could move forward as a nationwide collective action - similar to a class action. The plaintiffs claim that they submitted hundreds of applications to the software but were rejected every time - sometimes within a matter of minutes. According to court documents, they claim Workday's AI-based hiring tools 'disproportionately disqualifies individuals over the age of forty (40) from securing gainful employment.' Workday denies the allegations. Some 11,000 companies worldwide use Workday, which provides a platform for firms to post job openings and manage the recruitment process. It also offers a service called 'HiredScore AI,' which it says uses 'responsible AI' to grade the best candidates and cut down the time recruiters spend screening applicants, CNN reported. In a court filing opposing the allegations, Workday claims it does not screen prospective employees and that its tech does not make decisions on hiring. AI tools can help businesses manage a sudden influx of thousands of applications. But critics of the tech are concerned that AI can contain biases which may deter people being hired based on factors such as their age, gender or race. The case is still in its early stages. But it serves as a warning that employers could be held accountable for algorithmic screening tools if they disproportionately harm certain groups - even if the bias is unintentional. For example, The American Civil Liberties Union has previously warned that AI hiring tools 'pose an enormous danger of exacerbating existing discrimination in the workplace.' In 2018, Amazon had to scrap a 'sexist' AI hiring tool after after it taught itself to prefer male candidates over females. Mobley claims he kept being rejected, often without being offered an interview, despite having almost a decade of experience and having graduated cum laude from Morehouse College. According to court documents, he alleges he once submitted a job application at 12:55am and had already received a rejection by 1:50am. Another plaintiff, Jill Hughes, claimed she also received automated rejections for hundreds of roles 'often received within a few hours of applying or at odd times outside of business hours … indicating a human did not review the applications,' CNN reported. In some cases, she claims the rejection emails falsely said she did not meet the minimum requirements for the role. Mobley's original complaint claims: 'Algorithmic decision-making and data analytics are not, and should not be assumed to be, race neutral, disability neutral, or age neutral. 'Too often, they reinforce and even exacerbate historical and existing discrimination.' Judge Lin's order on May 16 will allow Mobley's lawyers to notify other people who may have similar claims against Workday to join the lawsuit, but the company can still ask the court to deal with the claims individually. The lawsuit is seeking unspecified monetary damages and a court order requiring the company to change its practices. 'We continue to believe this case is without merit. This is a preliminary, procedural ruling at an early stage of this case that relies on allegations, not evidence. 'The Court has not made any substantive findings against Workday, and has not ruled this case can go forward as a class action.
Irish Times
16-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Germany-based saleswoman given `ultimatum' to work full time or retire wins €124,000
An Irish-based tech firm which invoked German law to get rid of a 67-year-old sales executive after she refused an 'ultimatum' from her boss to either retire or go back to working full-time hours has been ordered to pay her just under €124,000. The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) said cybersecurity company Integrity360 Europe Ltd acted in 'flagrant' breach of legal protections for part-time workers when it dismissed the worker, Helen Holland, last April – as well as discriminating against her on age grounds. She told the WRC she was made to feel 'old, irrelevant and unimportant' and 'a nuisance' by a new manager brought in following the 2023 buyout of her original employer, Advantio Limited by Integrity360. Ms Holland joined the firm in a sales role in 2017 and was promoted to key account manager in 2020, covering a territory in mainland Europe and the UK. She lived and worked chiefly in Germany, received her salary into a German bank account, paid German taxes and took German public holidays, the tribunal heard. READ MORE In April 2022, Ms Holland reached the age of 65, which was referred to in her contract of employment as the company's retirement age. However, the evidence before the WRC was that the retirement clause was not triggered at that time. Ms Holland's position was that this was an agreement that she would work on, with no set retirement date. The former managing director of the firm wrote in a March 2023 email that it was 'too much of a risk to let Helen retire' within six months, the tribunal heard. Following the July 2023 buyout of Advantio, Ms Holland got a new line manager, Matt Tomlinson, in November that year. The WRC concluded that in discussions about her position with Mr Tomlinson, Ms Holland was 'given an ultimatum and told that if she did not return to full time working ... then she would have to retire'. She was terminated 'without cause' on 30th April last year, a move the company's lawyers submitted had been 'pursuant to German law'. The firm argued that the WRC ought to reject jurisdiction on the basis that Ms Holland's job contract referred to both Irish and German law, and that this 'ambiguity' required the claim be heard in Germany, where Ms Holland lived, rather than in Ireland, where the company was registered. Adjudicator Pat Brady concluded Ms Holland had the right to choose, and 'had chosen Ireland'. He wrote that the company had been 'open and blatant' about the termination of Ms Holland's part-time contract and ruled its actions a 'flagrant breach' of the Protection of Employees (Part-Time Work) Act 2001, awarding €88,800 for the breach. He awarded a further €35,000 for age discrimination in breach of Employment Equality Act 1998, he awarded Ms Holland a further €35,000 – bringing the total awarded in the claim to €123,800. Tiernan Lowey BL appeared for Ms Holland, briefed by Hayes Solicitors. Michael McCormack BL was instructed by William Fry for the employer.
