Would enforcement of age discrimination laws change the unemployment equation?

[babylonsister]

http://www.openleft.com/diary/19136/jobs-age-discrimination

Jobs -- Age Discrimination?
by: DaveJ
Thu Jun 17, 2010 at 20:00


Would enforcement of age discrimination laws change the unemployment equation?

snip//


It is these older long-term-unemployed workers for whom the now-ending COBRA subsidies were, literally, a lifesaver. These are the people who either will not be able to get a health insurance policy because they tend to have conditions that insurance companies don't want to cover, or who won't be able to afford the policy anyway if they can get it. You see, they are unemployed and health care costs much more for older people.

If age discrimination laws were enforced would this change the nature of unemployment? As these workers are reluctantly hired by companies afraid to be caught in a "sting" or other enforcement operation the pool of remaining unemployed will shift.

This is worth a try. The Labor Department could publicly announce a campaign of enforcement -- they don't even have to actually do it -- and employers across the country would begin to hire a token person over 45 here and there.

Another area where law enforcement could do some good is by enforcing regulations that determine whether an employee is a "contractor" or a real employee. If the Labor Department enforced those regulations many people would being to receive the benefits, vacations, overtime and other advantages of regular employment that they are currently denied on a mass scale.

more...

http://www.openleft.com/diary/19136/jobs-age-discrimination

[The Magistrate]

1. Without a Shred Of Doubt, Ma'am, It Would

[babylonsister]

2. So here's a perfect example of a law passed that I'm sure was

applauded at the time going to waste because it's not being enforced.

I know, who will enforce it? But still. There's a lot of talent out there going wasted.

[Curmudgeoness]

3. Another law that was impossible to enforce.

You would never find a company that could be prosecuted unless you had a (gasp) quota. They didn't hire that older applicant because they were overqualified, underqualified, not qualified, etc. It would never ever ever be because they were old. Someone explain how we could enforce age discrimination.