What must be proven to claim age discrimination?

To successfully claim age discrimination, it is essential to demonstrate that age was a contributing factor in the employment decision. This means showing that the individual's age played a role in the actions taken by the employer, such as hiring, firing, promotions, or other terms of employment. The law recognizes that age should not negatively impact an individual's opportunities in the workplace, and the evidence of age being a factor establishes a link between the decision made and discrimination based on age.

In practical terms, this does not require proof that age was the sole reason for the adverse employment action. Instead, it can be enough to indicate that age influenced the decision among other factors. This is crucial because it highlights that even if there are multiple reasons for an employment decision, age must not impair the chances of any employee based on their age.

The other options do not capture the legal standards required to prove age discrimination. For instance, simply being the youngest employee does not indicate that discrimination has occurred. Similarly, proving that a decision was based solely on age might be too high of a threshold, as it fails to account for situations where age may play a partial role alongside other factors. Lastly, while showing that other employees were treated more favorably can support a claim, it does not directly