Every day, someone in some workplace is probably made to feel like they are too old to be a good employee. However, age discrimination can happen to young people, just the same as it can older people. It is absolutely possible, in some states, to file a lawsuit, if you have been discriminated against because of your age, even if you were treated unfairly because you are young. Unfortunately, a lot of young people have no idea that age discrimination is even something to worry about. Take a look at a few things you should know as a younger employee when it comes to age discrimination. 

Employers could not hire you simply because you are young. 

Perhaps one of the most common forms of age discrimination in the workforce for younger people is not getting hired, simply because of their age. Some employers may treat your younger age as if it means you are irresponsible, unreliable, or do not have enough employment skills. For instance, if a prospective employer says that they don't hire millennials, because millennials are always on their phone and never come to work as they should, this would be an unfair assumption and a form of age discrimination. 

Proving an age discrimination case is not always an easy thing. 

Age discrimination cases can be complicated and hard to prove. In addition, there are several steps that have to be taken in order for the case to be examined and conducted according to federal guidelines. Therefore, it is never a good idea to go at these kinds of cases on your own. Even though you can file a complaint to your state's equal employment opportunity office for help, it is a good idea to talk to an attorney that specializes in age discrimination law services for legal guidance. 

The federal age discrimination laws do not protect younger people. 

According to the EEOC, the federal age discrimination laws set forth by The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) only apply to people who are over 40 years of age. This means that you will not qualify for filing a suit unless there are local laws that state you can. Many states do have their own age discrimination laws in place that apply for both younger and older people. Talk to an attorney to find out what the laws in your state are, so you know whether or not you can move forward with filing a lawsuit.