Novo Nordisk is getting sued for age discrimination.
According to a complaint filed to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), a 62-year-old employee was denied a lateral transfer because of her age, and the hiring manager offered the position to a less-qualified 33-year-old from another state. The complainant had been working as an obesity care specialist for the company since 2015 and applied for a vacant position in another territory that was closer to her residence.
After she was turned down for the position, Novo Nordisk launched an internal investigation and found that the actions violated the company’s anti-discrimination policy as the hiring decision was based on wanting a candidate that could fill the role “long-term.” Even though discrimination was found to be a part of the hiring decision, Novo Nordisk refused to transfer her.
Since the conduct directly violates the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), the EEOC filed a suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey (EEOC v. Novo Nordisk, Inc., Civil Action No. 3:22-cv-3482) after failing to reach a pre-litigation settlement through conciliation processes.
Regional attorney for the EEOC’s New York District Office “The ADEA prohibits discriminating against anyone with respect to compensation, terms, conditions or privileges of employment based on his or her age,” said Jeffrey Burstein, regional attorney for the EEOC’s New York District Office. “The EEOC’s prosecution of this case underscores that the ADEA protects employees from adverse decisions motivated by age discrimination, including those involving lateral transfers.”