Sanford Age Discrimination Lawyer

Skilled Sanford Age Discrimination Attorney

With age comes experience, education, and skill. Unfortunately, some employers overlook these qualities and treat older employees unfairly based on their age alone. If you are being harassed or discriminated against due to your age, a Sanford age discrimination lawyer can file a claim that pursues compensation for your losses while holding your employer accountable for their misconduct.

Why Work With Us?

With more than 30 years of experience, the Law Offices of Gary A. Costales, P.A., has become a trusted firm for employment discrimination issues in Sanford. Our founding attorney, Gary A. Costales, is a Florida Bar-Certified Employment Law Attorney who works relentlessly to seek justice and compensation for victims of age discrimination.

What Is Age Discrimination?

Age discrimination occurs when an employer treats a job applicant or an employee unfairly due to their age. This typically applies to individuals over the age of 40. This type of discrimination often affects hiring practices, promotions, job assignments, layoffs, training opportunities, or termination. It can also involve age-related harassment.

Age discrimination is a significant workplace issue, with 38% of employers admitting to reviewing job applications with age bias, while 50% of establishments hire less than 5% of workers who are 45 and older. Age discrimination can happen anywhere, whether you work for Seminole State College of Florida or the Central Florida Regional Hospital.

If you think you are being negatively treated due to your age, it is worth speaking with a Sanford age discrimination attorney about filing a claim. Some of the most common examples of age discrimination we can resolve at the Law Offices of Gary A. Costales, P.A., include:

• Being denied a job because of your age
• Pervasive comments about retirement, your age, or being too old for the job
• Being excluded from training programs or advancement opportunities due to your age
• Being pressured to resign or retire

Age Discrimination Laws Protecting Sanford Employees

Several age discrimination laws protect Sanford employees from age discrimination in the workplace. These include the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), which prohibits employers from discriminating against workers over 40. The ADEA is enforced by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which received 1,100 age discrimination claims from Florida in the 2025 fiscal year.

The Florida Civil Rights Act also prohibits age-related discrimination in employment. It is primarily enforced by the Florida Commission on Human Relations (FCHR).

How to Prove an Age Discrimination Case

In many cases, employers try to provide legitimate business reasons for their decisions, seeking to avoid accountability for age discrimination. This can include claiming that your performance has been declining or that layoffs were done solely due to financial reasons. Successfully proving age discrimination requires evidence showing that age had a major role in your employer’s decision. You may also need to disprove your employer’s excuses.

Many types of evidence can be used to support an age discrimination claim. Some common forms include:

• Statements made by supervisors
• Employment records
• Performance evaluations
• Witness testimony

While evidence of your own situation is valuable, some cases also require investigating company practices as a whole. For example, by looking at data on which employees were laid off, you could prove age discrimination by highlighting that older employees were laid off at a higher rate.

Why You Should Hire an Age Discrimination Lawyer When Pursuing Compensation

By working with a Sanford age discrimination lawyer, you can improve your ability to recover fair compensation for your losses. A lawyer can analyze your damages, such as back pay, front pay, reputational damage, or emotional distress, and determine a fair value of your claim.

Then, they can negotiate on your behalf to seek a fair settlement. If negotiations don’t lead to the settlement you deserve, a lawyer can advocate for you in court.

FAQs

Can You File a Claim for Age Discrimination in Florida?

Yes. If you are at least 40 years old and have experienced age discrimination, you can file a claim against your employer. If you hire an age discrimination lawyer, they can review your case to determine whether what you experienced qualifies as employment discrimination. If it does, they can gather evidence and file a claim through the appropriate government agency.

How Hard Is It to Succeed in an Age Discrimination Claim?

Age discrimination claims can be difficult to succeed in because you not only have to prove that some adverse action occurred, but you must also show that the reason for this action was due to your age. Employers often defend their actions, claiming that they were due to performance issues or other legal reasons. A Sanford age discrimination attorney can prove that age was the reason for the discrimination, improving the odds of succeeding in your claim.

What Are Three Signs That Someone Is Being Discriminated Against Because of Their Age?

While there are many ways age discrimination can show up in the workplace, three common signs include:

1. Repeated offensive jokes about an employee’s age
2. Younger employees are consistently being selected for promotions over older employees
3. Older employees being pressured to retire, even if they are not personally ready for retirement

If you are a victim of these signs, it may be time to speak with a lawyer about whether you can file a claim against your employer.

What Is the Average Payout for Age Discrimination?

There is no specific average payout in an age discrimination case. Instead, settlements and verdicts vary widely based on the following:

• Specific facts of the case
• Available evidence
• Amount of economic damages
• Severity of emotional distress and other non-economic damages

Some minor claims may result in a relatively small payout, while others can result in significant compensation.

Learn How the Law Offices of Gary A. Costales, P.A., Can Help

If your employer may be treating you unfairly simply because of your age, don’t sit back and ignore the warning signs. Hire an employment lawyer as soon as possible. That way, they can preserve critical evidence and begin developing a claim against your employer. If you are ready to pursue justice, contact the Law Offices of Gary A. Costales, P.A.