U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, introduced the bipartisan Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act (POWADA) — which would support senior economic security nationwide, including protections from workplace age discrimination.
“Older Americans are important members of our communities, and they deserve to age knowing their rights are supported in the workplace,” said Murkowski, who introduced the legislation with Sen. Bob Casey, D-PA, and chair of the Senate’s Special Committee on Aging. “This bipartisan effort will ensure that older Americans have critically needed protections to ensure they aren’t victims of age discrimination. Too many older Alaskans have faced uncertainty and wrongful discrimination due to their age — so I’m proud to be part of this effort that supports those who do so much for our workplaces and communities.”
POWADA would restore critical protections in the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) and make it easier for employees to prove when they are a victim of age discrimination in the workplace. Older workers are currently required to meet a significantly higher burden of proof when alleging age discrimination than is required of workers alleging other forms of workplace discrimination.
POWADA is co-led by U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley, R-I and co-sponsored by Sens. Maggie Hassan, D-NH, Susan Collins, R-ME, and Tammy Baldwin, D-WI.
