Enterprise Car Leasing To Pay $1.8M In Age Bias Case For Refusal To Hire Workers Over 40

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced Enterprise Leasing Company of Florida, LLC will pay $1.8 million in addition to non-monetary relief, in an effort to settle an age discrimination lawsuit after being accused of not hiring employees over the age of 40, WFLA reported.

The federal suit alleges Enterprise Leasing, operating National, Enterprise, and Alamo car rentals in Florida, denied employment for candidates aged 40 or older for its management trainee position dating back to approximately 2019 to present day. Roughly 15% of applications the company received were from applicants aged 40 or over but represented under 3% of hires. In a statement, EEOC Regional Attorney Kristen Foslid said employers can’t deny employment due to age. “Over a third of the adult workforce in the United States is age 50 or older,” Foslid said. 

“Employers cannot overlook qualified applicants simply because of their age.” 

The EEOC said they have worked with more than 125 witnesses who could testify to being asked how old they were or when they graduated during the interview process where Enterprise hiring officials told them they were seeking candidates fresh out of college. Statements discouraged candidates from continuing the interview, in addition to them being subjected to other age-related comments. 

Miami EEOC District Director, Evangaline Hawthorne, feels Enterprise is at a disadvantage, as the designated age group can bring experience to the table. “Workers in this protected age group bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the workforce and can contribute to organizational success,” Hawthorne said.

“This settlement reflects the EEOC’s commitment to ensuring that all individuals have equal access to employment opportunities, regardless of age.” 

As part of the settlement, Enterprise will provide monetary relief to applicants affected by discriminatory practices, in addition to implementing a three-year consent decree. According to Tampa Free Press, the company must create and embed new Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) policies and provide training on age discrimination on a yearly basis. The company also must establish a robust bi-annual reporting system in order to give the EEOC concrete data on its hiring decisions in an effort to push a narrative of transparency.

To make sure issues of age discrimination don’t occur again, the settlement requires Enterprise to conduct mandatory investigations into additional complaints and create an ethics hotline for applicants and employees to report discrimination complaints.

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