Former worker sues Wal-Mart for age discrimination
A 67-year-old former Wal-Mart employee is accusing the company of firing her because of her age.
Published Sept. 26, 2008
A 67-year-old woman was fired from her position as an optician at a De Soto Wal-Mart because of her age, according to a lawsuit filed Monday by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Yvonne Loskot was terminated after working at Wal-Mart for a decade because she made too much money, the commission said in a Monday news release. Loskot was earning $18 an hour, making her both the oldest and the highest paid employee in the optical department at De Soto's Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart said Loskot was not fired because of her age. "While I cannot discuss specifics of personnel decisions, I can tell you that this individual was terminated for a violation of company policy," Wal-Mart spokeswoman Daphne Moore said. "At this point we are reviewing the complaint and we will respond appropriately." The company's Web site said Wal-Mart, the nation's largest private employer, employs more than 350,000 "mature associates," or people 50 years and older. The site also says Wal-Mart's support of the "mature community extends beyond the walls of the company through sponsorship and service." The Age Discrimination in Employment Act forbids employers from discriminating against employees and applicants aged 40 and older because of age. The commission filed suit after first attempting to reach a settlement out of court, which Wal-Mart, based in Bentonville, Ark., refused. The lawsuit seeks back pay for Loskot as well as compensatory and punitive damages and reinstatement. "We all age, so everyone should appreciate the protections of the ADEA," said Barbara Seely, an attorney for the EEOC's St. Louis office, in an e-mail. "Age discrimination in employment does far-reaching damage in our society. It results in the loss of productivity and opportunities for valuable workers in our economy." The EEOC received 19,103 charges of age discrimination in 2007, a jump of just fewer than 3,000 in 2006.
11:27 a.m., Jan. 24, 2010
Sally Greuling said:
Wal-Mart’s at it AGAIN! I am/was a loyal Sam’s Club employee for well over 9 yrs. In fact, I wasn't one that went seeking them, I was recruited in Omaha. I was opposed to unions and promoted Sam’s Club to businesses and those I’ve known. I was a solid Wal-Mart employee and kept the company line firm. I cross-trained to almost every job in Sam's Club, have worked in many, managed costs, and kept that friendly smile on my face consistently. I focused my attention on our members looking to resolve any challenges they may have had, as customers are the bed-rock of Sam Walton's legacy. With my manager’s wink of approval, I even worked off the clock and through breaks to ensure things got done. But Buddy, at this point, where's that union representative - sign-me-up !! Sam's Club, a part of the Wal Mart family is initiating a round of lay-off's across the country today. This is occuring at 8:00 AM meetings on Sunday Jan 24th, today. This is occurring at every Sam’s Club store across th nation. For me, it has occurred at the Columbus, OH stores eliminating at least 30 people per store. In my store, 6308, These are all women/men between the ages of 50 and 70. With well over 500 stores in the US, this amounts to at least 15,000 people. It’s not only the most senior employees that have been targeted and are being given notice that they're being laid-off because their jobs are eliminated. They also selected the outside sales reps and marketing teams to avoid having the issue seen as a discriminatory act against the senior Demo Ladies. This is occuring during a challenging economy when Wal-Mart/Sam’s Club has just come off of a profitable year-end close. This is a company that’s promoted themselves to be the customer-friendly store and dedicated to their employees. With these actions, they clearly demonstrate that they treat their employees with an absolute lack of caring, and total dis-respect. I’m now a part of a growing number of people supporting litigation against Wal-Mart – baby, count me in! More information - contact me. Sally