California office of Zillow sued for age discrimination

A Zillow employee recently filed a lawsuit against the company for age discrimination at its Irvine office. This lawsuit is one of four that have been brought against the company for employment practices exhibited at this particular office.

The age discrimination lawsuit states that a Zillow sales manager told the 41-year-old former sales employee to attempt to keep up with the rest of the team and asked if the woman was “too old to close.” She claims that the general culture of harassment and employer retaliation at Zillow demonstrates neglect toward employment rights and human decency.

Furthermore, the woman claims that she was wrongfully terminated on Oct. 27 after taking time off work to recover from injuries suffered in a traffic crash earlier in 2014. She says that she was required to make calls and stand for hours even though she requested breaks. She reported these issues to the human resources department when she was hospitalized for exacerbated injuries from the working conditions, according to the suit.

On Oct. 24, the HR director purportedly issued an ultimatum that the employee provide a doctor’s note or her employment would be terminated. Yet, the woman claims the hospital sent the HR department a fax on Oct. 13, explaining her hospitalization. Ultimately, the employee was terminated for job abandonment on Oct. 27.

Employees who are 40 or older are protected from age discrimination under The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967. Employees who suspect that they are victims of age discrimination could file a lawsuit against the relevant manager or employer with the help of employment law attorneys.

Source: GeekWire, “Zillow hit with age discrimination lawsuit over behavior at California offices: Sales staffer asked whether ‘too old to close’“, Blair Hanley Frank, December 04, 2014