Older persons seek protection against discrimination during employment

A bill filed in the House of Representatives seeks to prohibit discrimination of older persons during employment.
House Bill 268 or “Anti-Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 2013” will prohibit any individual with respect to compensation to refuse employment and the terms and conditions of employment on account of age.
The bill was filed by Rep. Eric Olivarez (1st District, Parañaque City ) who said that in the face of rising productivity and affluence, older workers find themselves disadvantaged or discriminated against on their effort to retain employment or regain employment after they’re displaced from their jobs.
“The setting of arbitrary age limit regardless of potential for job performance has become a common practice. The incidence of unemployment, especially long-term unemployment with resultant deterioration of skill, morale and employer acceptability, is higher among older workers,” said Olivarez.
The bill further provides it shall be unlawful for an employment agency to fail or refuse to refer for employment, or otherwise to discriminate against any individual because of age, or to classify or refer for employment any individual on the basis of age.
Likewise, it shall be unlawful for a labor organization to exclude or expel from its membership, or otherwise discriminate against any individual because of age. Other prohibitions are also included in the bill seeking to protect employees and also exemptions that will not apply to employers having only few employees. (@dcherald/with PR)