Raytheon sued for age discrimination in hiring practices

The lawsuit claims that Raytheon used phrases such as "recent college graduate" or "new graduate" in its job listings, which allegedly indicate a preference for younger applicants. Additionally, for some positions in software engineering, mechanical engineering, business, and other fields, the company required applicants to have a college degree and less than one or two years of work experience to "meet basic qualifications" or to have graduated college within the past one or two years. These requirements are claimed to illegally favor recent college graduates over older workers in the hiring process, potentially leading to age discrimination.

Raytheon's requirement for applicants to have graduated within a certain recent timeframe or have less than one or two years of work experience potentially conflicts with age discrimination laws because it indirectly imposes an age limit on job applicants. This is due to the fact that recent college graduates and individuals with only one or two years of work experience are typically younger individuals, which can lead to exclusion of older, more experienced candidates based on their age.

Such requirements can be seen as violating the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, which prohibits employers from discriminating against job applicants and employees who are 40 years or older on the basis of age. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the federal agency responsible for enforcing civil rights in the workplace, has also found that Raytheon's practices of hiring recent college graduates violate this Act.

The issue was brought to light through a lawsuit filed by a 67-year-old Virginia man, who claimed that Raytheon illegally favored recent college graduates over older workers in its hiring process. The plaintiff alleged that despite meeting all other requirements for the positions he applied for, he was not hired due to not being a recent college graduate and having more than one or two years of work experience.

This case highlights the potential conflict between Raytheon's hiring practices and age discrimination laws, and raises awareness about age discrimination in hiring practices in general, particularly in the tech industry.