Age discrimination?

[Mogie]

NY. I am 58 years old. I was offered a temporary position assisting a company -- in an industry which I had 20 years of experience in -- for a specific 3 month term project. I was one of several people hired to assist with the project. As incentive for me to start right away, the agency told me a permanent employee had recently left and his position would likely become available. Obviously, they were anxious to get a body in there asap, so I agreed. I was assigned to his duties and successfully performed those duties while the other temp workers were more involved with the specifics of the project. The job I was doing was posted on the company website, so I sought permission from the employment agency and managers of the department to formally apply for the job and was granted permission. Several weeks later and days after the project was complete, I learned from the agency that my last day would be the next day. I emailed the managers to reiterate my interest in the permanent job but was told that they had decided to move in another direction -- to a more junior role -- and that I was over qualified. When I told them I’d be open to working in a lesser role, they said they had someone else in mind. Before I investigate to see if they hired a younger person for the job I was doing, I wonder if I have a case if they did so. Clearly, the job i was doing was a necessary role and others in the department assumed I'd be offered the job.

 

[cbg]

While age discrimination cannot be ruled out on the basis of your post, it's by no means a slam dunk case, either. It is by no means unusual, or illegal, for preference to be given to internal candidates over external ones (and as an agency temp you would be considered external) EVEN IF your qualifications, on paper, are higher.