§ 23:312 — Prohibition of age discrimination; exceptions

A. It is unlawful for an employer to engage in any of the following practices:
(1) Fail or refuse to hire, or to discharge, any individual or otherwise discriminate against any individual with respect to his compensation, or his terms, conditions, or privileges of employment because of the individual's age.
(2) Limit, segregate, or classify his employees in any way which would deprive or tend to deprive any individual of employment opportunities or otherwise adversely affect his status as an employee because of the individual's age.
(3) Reduce the wage rate of any employee in order to comply with this Part.
B. It is unlawful for an employment agency to fail or refuse to refer for employment, or otherwise to discriminate against, any individual because of the individual's age, or to classify or refer for employment any individual on the basis of the individual's age.
C. It is unlawful for a labor organization to engage in any of the following practices:
(1) Exclude or expel from its membership, or otherwise discriminate against, any individual because of his age.
(2) Limit, segregate, or classify its membership, or classify or fail or refuse to refer for employment any individual in any way which would deprive or tend to deprive any individual of employment opportunities, or limit such employment opportunities, or otherwise adversely affect his status as an employee or as an applicant for employment, because of the individual's age.
(3) Cause or attempt to cause an employer to discriminate against an individual in violation of this Section.
D. It is unlawful for an employer to discriminate against any of his employees or applicants for employment, for an employment agency to discriminate against any individual, or for a labor organization to discriminate against any member thereof or applicant for membership because the individual, member, or applicant for membership has opposed any practice made unlawful by this Section, or because such individual, member, or applicant for membership has made a charge, testified, assisted, or participated in any manner in an investigation, proceeding, or litigation pursuant to this Part.
E. It is unlawful for an employer, labor organization, or employment agency to print or publish, or cause to be printed or published, any notice or advertisement relating to employment by the employer or membership in or any classification or referral for employment by a labor organization, or relating to any classification or referral for employment by an employment agency indicating any preference, limitation, specification, or discrimination based on age.
F. It is not unlawful for an employer, employment agency, or labor organization to engage in any of the following practices:
(1) Take any action otherwise prohibited under Subsection A, B, C, or E, where age is a bona fide occupational qualification reasonably necessary for the normal operation of the particular business, or where the differentiation is based on reasonable factors other than age.
(2) Take any action otherwise prohibited under Subsection A, B, C, or E to observe the terms of a bona fide seniority system or any bona fide employee benefit plan, such as retirement, pension, or insurance plan, which is not a subterfuge to evade the purposes of this Part except that no such employee benefit plan shall excuse the failure to hire any individual.
(3) Discharge or otherwise discipline an individual for good cause.

Legislative History

Acts 1997, No. 1409, §1, eff. Aug. 1, 1997.