Age Rage

When most people think of age discrimination in the workplace, they think of older employees getting angry over preferential treatment given to twentysomethings. But now, fortysomething employees are up in arms over how companies treat workers in their 50s and 60s.

This trend-called "reverse discrimination"-is at the heart of the Supreme Court case General Dynamics Land Systems Inc. v. Dennis Cline et al. Citing rising health-care costs, defense contractor General Dynamics, which for years fully funded the health costs of its retired employees, renegotiated its policy so only longtime employees over 50 remained eligible for full medical benefits after retirement. A group of fortysomething General Dynamics workers sued, citing discrimination because they were deemed too young to be entitled to the retirement health benefit. The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of General Dynamics' employees.