Many Los Angeles residents remember the band Devo for their instantly-recognizable song “Whip It” — or maybe their goofy red hats. But now they may associate the band, or at least one of its members, with age discrimination and employment law.
The wife of one of Devo’s singers has been sued by the family’s former nanny for a number of reasons, including wrongful termination, age discrimination and disability discrimination. According to the nanny, the wife constantly yelled and screamed at her, and she called her a bunch of names, including “pig.” The wife also remarked that the nanny is “old” and may have Alzheimer’s.
In addition, the nanny was fired after she took two weeks off from work to recover from a back injury. She was their nanny for nine years, and yet she was fired in such a disgraceful manner. The nanny seeks unspecified damages for her lost pay, emotional distress and numerous other personal and financial costs.
There are some people out there who, for some reason, think that you can fire someone for any reason at all, even if that reason is completely arbitrary or derogatory. To the contrary, you can’t do that. Every employee has a right to not be discriminated against and to not be harassed.
Age discrimination has become an increasingly prominent issue in employment law. As our population ages, more and more older people are trying to work longer — and they may deal with an unacceptable work environment as a result. This is unacceptable, and every employee needs to remember his or her rights.
Source: Courthouse News Service, “Devo Singer’s Ex-Nanny Alleges Discrimination,” Matt Reynolds, June 5, 2014
