Eli Lilly Accused of Age Bias by Denying Promotions in Favor of Millennials

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Eli Lilly has been sued in federal court for age discrimination. A 53-year-old sales employee filed a collective action against the pharmaceutical manufacturer, claiming they violated federal and state anti-discrimination laws by denying older workers promotions. This is similar to what a September 2022 U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity claim alleges, as well as a federal putative class action lawsuit from 2021.

Case background

The most recent lawsuit was filed by executive sales representative Monica Richards. Richards claims she was passed over for a managerial position in favor of a 27-year-old with “little” experience. Despite successfully managing the Boston Primary Care District and outperforming all other 92 teams in diabetes unit for 10 months, she did not get the permanent promotion.

Richards believes that this discrimination stemmed from an announcement by a senior vice president, who told staffers they needed to hire more Millennials, the generation encompassing people born between 1981 and 1996.

Richards is essentially claiming that Eli Lilly, in an effort to ensure their workforce does not unfairly skew toward older employees, is now going too far in the opposite direction. Richards’ suit alleges that the age discrimination extends beyond the previous two ongoing lawsuits: the company favors younger employees over “well-qualified older employees.” This includes a group called Early Career Professionals to support the younger generation, without similar support or groups for older employees.

Richards is seeking unspecified damages, and seeks to represent all Eli Lilly workers over the age of 40 who were denied a promotion on discriminatory grounds.

Age bias can create serious financial harm for good employees. If your employer has violated age bias laws, a seasoned whistleblower attorney at Kardell Law Group can help you understand your legal options. Contact us today to learn more.

By Steve Kardell | Published May 23, 2023 | Posted in Employee Rights | Tagged Age Discrimination, eeoc, Eli Lilly

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