Wireless firm Sprint Nextel has agreed to shell out $57 million to settle a class action lawsuit charging the company with age discrimination in connection with layoffs. The employees charged that Sprint violated the federal age discrimination law by moving older employees into positions that were then eliminated during corporate downsizing. The settlement covers approximately 1,700 employees who were laid off between October 2001 and March 2003.
Sprint has not acknowledged wrongdoing, stating that it settled the case in order to focus on its business. The latest settlement comes after Sprint paid out $5.5 million last year to resolve another age discrimination class action suit.
Additional Resources:
“The Complete Guide to Understanding and Preventing Age Bias in the Workplace” a CEA Special Report
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Age Discrimination information