Photo: courtneyk / E+ / Getty Images
FLORIDA - Enterprise Leasing Company of Florida, LLC, which operates National, Enterprise, and Alamo car rental locations across Florida, will pay $1.8 million and implement policy changes to settle a federal age discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
The lawsuit alleged that the company failed to hire qualified applicants aged 40 or older for management trainee positions from at least 2019 to the present.
The EEOC reported that while about 15 percent of applicants for these positions were over 40, less than three percent of hires came from this age group.
The agency identified more than 125 potential witnesses who allegedly were asked about their age or graduation year during interviews, told that the company preferred candidates fresh out of college, discouraged from pursuing the position, or subjected to other age-related remarks.
As part of the settlement, Enterprise Leasing has agreed to implement a three-year consent decree with multiple requirements.
These include adopting new Age Discrimination in Employment Act policies, conducting annual training on age discrimination for hiring managers, posting notices about the lawsuit, investigating all complaints of age discrimination, maintaining applicant tracking procedures, and providing reports to the EEOC.
The company will also establish a hotline for employees and applicants to report discrimination concerns.
EEOC officials emphasized that older workers contribute valuable experience and knowledge to the workforce and should have equal access to employment opportunities.
The settlement reflects the agency’s effort to ensure compliance with federal age discrimination laws and to prevent age-related hiring bias in the future.