Philadelphia Employment Lawyers: Casino EEOC Claims Settlement
Colorado casino-hotel, Reserve Casino Hotel, has agreed to pay $250,000 to four women to settle allegations that the casino refused to rehire them on the basis of their age, gender or both, when the casino was sold in 2011.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) filed a lawsuit against the casino in September 2015 on behalf of four women, who ranged in age from 58 to 63. The women were employed as slot machine attendants or cocktail servers. The casino was then known as the Fortune Valley Hotel and Casino, but then was sold in bankruptcy, emerging as Reserve Casino Hotel. Three of the women were long-time slot machine attendants when they were not rehired in the transfer. They were 60, 62, and 58 years old at the time they were terminated. The fourth woman, started working as a food server in November 2005, and later became a cocktail waitress. She was 63 when she was denied rehire, and the oldest cocktail server applicant.
Older Women Are at Risk for Discrimination
According to the complaint, prior to the sale of the casino, managers photographed floor operations employees, then later used the photos to screen out older and less attractive employees. Then, it allegedly rehired approximately 95 percent of the workforce, screening out the five percent who were older and less attractive. The EEOC has gone on the record to emphasize that older women may be facing more prevalent and acute employment discrimination than those in other subcategories of the workforce, including younger men and women and older men.
The owners of Reserve Casino Hotel signed a 3.5-year consent decree, whereby the four women will share in the $250,000 settlement award. The EEOC will determine how the award is to be split between the four women. The consent decree also mandates that the owners revise their anti-discrimination policies, making a strong and clear commitment to preventing age-based discrimination and retaliation. They also must provide annual training, and education on subconscious stereotypes.
The EEOC sued the owners of Reserve Casino Hotel under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. The women had come forward, spurring the agency to conduct an investigation that lead to a finding that there was a significant lack of hiring of female applicants age 40 or older. The specific allegations included in the complaint were sex discrimination, age discrimination and “sex plus age” discrimination.
Philadelphia Employment Lawyers at Sidkoff, Pincus & Green, P.C. Represent Individuals with EEOC Claims
If you suspect that you have suffered from employment discrimination, Philadelphia employment lawyers at Sidkoff, Pincus & Green can help you recover maximum compensation and hold the responsible parties accountable. With offices conveniently located in Philadelphia, we represent clients throughout Pennsylvania and South Jersey. Call us at 215-574-0600 or contact us online today.