Can my boss force me to retire
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Can my boss force me to retire
My boss is cutting my hours from 40 hrs to 20hrs. He wants me to retire at 62yrs
old? I have been there for 43yrs. He is saying lack of business. Do I have any
rights? I live in CT. Thank You
Asked on January 22, 2017 under Employment Labor Law, Connecticut
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 7 years ago | Contributor
He can't force you to retire--retiring is voluntary. However, he can terminate you or cut your hours if he wants, unless you have an employment contract preventing this: in the absence of a contract, employment is "employment at will" and your employer can decide to terminate you or what hours (e.g. how many) you will work.
The above said, an employer may *not* discriminate against an employee because that employee is over age 40. If you are the only person he is doing this to, it may be illegal age-related discrimination. You may wish to contact the federal EEOC or your state's equal/civil rights agency about filing a complaint; if the agency agrees that this could be age-based discrimination, they can investigate; if they do, the employer can try to prove there is a non-age reason (e.g., they can try to show that business or income is down and they have to cut, and that there are non-age reasons to cut you, such as based on what you do and their need, with diminished business, for your services), but if they can't show a convincing non-age reason, you may be entitled to compensation for being discriminated against.
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