Age Discrimination At IBM

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Journal: IBM is Being Sued for Age Discrimination After Firing Thousands
Providing equal employment opportunity without age discrimination is one of the most significant factors in a work environment. Specifically, firms need to adopt better ways of enhancing efficiency than adopting age discrimination in an organization. This article explores the unethical practices and treatment of employees at the International Business Machines Corporation. The author uses a lawsuit presented by Shannon Liss-Riordan in the Manhattan federal court. For the past seven years, IBM has systematically laid off old staffs purposely to bring in the youthful and energetic workforce. The case presented to Shannon by former employees draws a report from the ProPublica which was published in March 2014 stating that IBM had fired approximately 20, 000 staffs who are beyond 40 years within the last six years.
In my opinion, Shannon Liss-Riordan representing Lichten &Liss Riordan advocates in Boston has championed workers against age discrimination. In this case, the employees took a crucial role in fighting for their place in the organization against being laid off without any basis. From the analysis of the lawsuit, the report is said to have broken the age discrimination regulation. Therefore, fired employees with no basis for job termination should be compensated. Subsequently, I support for compensation since the ProPublica can account for approximately 20,000 employees laid off from work clear evidence of getting rid of staffs beyond 40 years.

On the other side, the respondent represented by Ed Barbini argued that changes in the workforce at the IBM bring about new skills without protecting employee age groups. Consequently, Ed Barbini further supports his argument that skills at the corporation have changed dramatically; which is an indication of success in the modern development technologies. I concur with this opinion on youthful age to possess new energy and skills vital to the positive development of a corporation. Therefore, high turnovers bring about positive output to the enterprise. In conclusion, this act by the IBM presents a wrongful action and unethical practices against their esteem employees. The firing of employees based on their age is unfair to act of treating employees in a corporation. Preferably, the company needs to retrain employee to enhance the efficiency of the workforce.
Link: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-09-17/ibm-is-being-sued-for-age-discrimination-after-firing-thousands. Accessed 21 Sept 2018.