Connecticut lawmakers plan to resurrect a bipartisan proposal that attempts to help older workers who often face age discrimination when seeking employment.
The bill would prohibit employers from requiring a job applicant to list their date of birth and school graduation years, information that reveals a worker’s age even though prospective employers are not allowed to ask about age during interviews.
Supporters said the legislation is aimed to address discrimination older online job applicants often face.
West Hartford Sen. Derek Slap, a Democrat, said this move could level the playing field for older workers in Connecticut and “give them a chance once they get into the application process to get that interview and make a case.”
Slap said Connecticut has the sixth-oldest workforce in the U.S. Recent U.S. Census Bureau data show more than a quarter of the state’s workforce is over age 54.
A similar bill died last year in the General Assembly because time ran out, said lawmakers, who hope to pass legislation early in the new session. The next regular session of the General Assembly convenes Feb. 5.
“This is actually a pretty important day because this legislation has been something we’ve been pursuing for years and we came so darn close last year,” said Republican Rep. Mitch Bolinsky of Newtown who said he has personally faced age discrimination.
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“All this does is get somebody in the door for an interview,” he said.
