A bill, S-397, unanimously approved by both houses of the New Jersey Legislature would broaden the state’s prohibition against age discrimination.
According to Patricia Prezioso, “I think the goal of this bill that Senator Weinberg really wants to be clear is that applicants and employees should be judged, regardless of their age, on whether or not they can do their job well. Seasoning really does bring value. On the other side of the coin, employers need to accomplish the mission of their business. It’s important that employees are valued, but also that they reach the expectations of their job.”
As also seen in the article, “Prezioso noted that the new law highlights the importance of human resources functions by state employers.
“‘We want to make sure we’re not discriminating against any group, including more mature workers, [and] on the other hand, employers are going to be put in a position of defending claims … that could unfortunately become very expensive and disruptive to defend. The value of a wonderful human resource department and human resource professionals is just incredibly important for a well-functioning business, and that goes for whether it’s the public sector or private sector,’ she said.”
