Gen Xers and older millennials hoping to enter Enterprise Leasing Company of Florida’s management training program were out of luck, according to an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) lawsuit filed in Fort Lauderdale federal court.
The lawsuit alleges that the rental car company, which is the arm of Enterprise Holdings behind National, Alamo and Enterprise car rental companies across Florida, asked management trainees a set of interview questions “geared towards younger candidates,” The Miami Herald reported.
Related: This Is What You Need to Know About Age Discrimination in the Workplace
The fast-paced digital adoption that occurred during the pandemic also sped up the automation of jobs and exacerbated underlying ageism in the workplace, making it more difficult for mid-career employees to land positions, according to findings from nonprofit employment organization Generation reported by CNBC.
In the case of Enterprise Florida, applicants for the management training program were allegedly asked about their college major choice, college clubs, extracurricular activities and more questions about a season of life long gone for middle-aged candidates, per the Herald.
Specifically, the EEOC claimed that those 40 and above were discriminated against and selected at a “much lower,” “statistically significant” rate, with only 2.3% of trainees in that age group in August of 2019 and 1.8% in October 2020.
Related: How Older Women Can Report Age Discrimination at Work
The EEOC seeks punitive action in the form of instating a non-discriminatory policy and the payment of back wages and/or installment into the management training program.
Enterprise Florida denied the allegations in an emailed statement to the outlet.
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