The court may award a former employee damages if he or she successfully sues his or her former employer for age discrimination. Examples could include anything like:
• ABC Company will rehire them in a position similar to their previous one. This therapy aims to speed up the worker’s recovery so they can resume their previous responsibilities.
• “Compensatory damages” (or “compensation”) refer to monetary compensation for intangible losses such as emotional pain, humiliation, and brand damage suffered as a direct result of discrimination. Claiming damages for the humiliation of taking one’s stuff out of a public building is plausible (Corbett, 2021).
• If reinstatement is not feasible nor desired, the terminated employee may be compensated for lost future earnings and benefits by receiving either front pay or lost wages. The worker’s anticipated compensation and benefits are taken into account.
• Back pay: This means the employee will get paid for the time between when they were fired and when the case was settled. The compensation is meant to put the workers back where they were before the discrimination was discovered (Corbett, 2021).
• If an employee can show that their employer acted with malice or reckless disregard for their rights, they may be eligible for punitive damages. The purpose of these fines is to discourage and punish the company’s bad behavior.
The amount of compensation sought would depend on several criteria, such as the severity of the injury, the length of time the worker has been unable to work, the worker’s ability to recoup lost wages, and any compensation caps set by legislation (Corbett, 2021).
Question 4
Because of the hefty severance payment granted by ABC Company, they may argue in court that there are no grounds for further legal action. However, getting severance pay does not mitigate claims of age discrimination. There are two ways to look at the severance pay:
• ABC Company may assert a defense because the severance payment was granted for no other reason than business necessity. The firm must show that the termination was for good, non-discriminatory reasons unrelated to age to use this defense (Dugard, 2021).
• If the company is paying a large severance package, it may be aware of wrongdoing or trying to avoid legal action. It does not prove anyone did anything illegal, but it might assist one in arguing that they were treated unfairly (Dugard, 2021).
An individual’s right to file a lawsuit could be affected by the provisions of the severance package, such as a release of claims or a confidentiality agreement (Dugard, 2021).
Biblical Integration
The Bible teaches that it is important to avoid discrimination for any reason since God does not show any form of favoritism. Romans 2:11 says, “For God does not show favoritism”. As Christians, it is important to follow in the footsteps of God in actions as well as in words. It helps in creating a conducive environment for all.
