Wrongful termination can come in many forms in Delaware and elsewhere in the United States. These include wrongful termination based on age. A recently decided case involving air traffic controllers and wrongful termination illustrates how age discrimination can play a role.
United States pays out $44 million to settle age discrimination case
Several years ago, a lawsuit was filed against the federal government alleging wrongful termination and age discrimination. The case alleged that hundreds of workers employed as flight service specialists had their jobs outsourced by the Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration. Flight service specialists are a kind of air traffic controller that provide pilots of private planes with information about fight routes, weather, and emergency help.
The lawsuit alleged that 761 workers in this classification were would have soon been eligible to retire and the government wanted to avoid paying full retirement benefits. Some workers did agree to move to Lockheed and become independent contractors. From Lockheed, these individuals were engaged as independent contractors to work as flight service specialists.
Specifics of the settlement
The settlement was reached on May 12, 2021. The specifics of the settlement include compensation to those former air traffic controllers who lost out on retirement benefits. In addition, others will receive credit that will permit them to now receive full retirement benefits.
If you face some type of wrongful termination case, an experienced and trustworthy attorney can best protect your vital legal interests. The first step in engaging legal representation in the aftermath of some type of age discrimination is to schedule an initial consultation and case evaluation.