Hatzel & Buehler Agrees to $500,000 Settlement in EEOC Age Discrimination Case

Background:

TRENTON, N.J. – Hatzel & Buehler, Inc., a commercial electrical contractor with branches in eight states and the District of Columbia, has agreed to pay $500,000 to settle an age discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) against its New Jersey branch.

Allegations:

The EEOC’s lawsuit alleged that, since at least November 2020, the vice president of Hatzel & Buehler’s New Jersey branch engaged in discriminatory hiring and recruitment practices. He reportedly instructed recruiting companies to seek out younger candidates for project manager and estimator positions, explicitly refusing to consider older applicants who did not meet his desired age range. This discriminatory practice was allegedly driven by age-based bias, disregarding the qualifications and experience of older candidates.

Additionally, the lawsuit claimed that the vice president failed to retain job applicant and hiring-related records as required by federal law. This lack of proper record-keeping further compounded the discriminatory practices, obstructing transparency and accountability in the hiring process.

Settlement:

The EEOC filed suit (U.S. EEOC v. Hatzel & Buehler, Inc., Civil Action No. 3:23-cv-03093) in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey in Trenton after unsuccessful pre-litigation settlement attempts. The parties voluntarily agreed to settle the case by entering a consent decree, which has been approved by a federal court.

Under the terms of the settlement, Hatzel & Buehler will pay $500,000 in monetary relief to eight older job candidates affected by the discriminatory practices. The company is also required to implement significant equitable relief measures. These include prohibiting the vice president from making final hiring decisions for project manager and estimator positions, adopting robust anti-discrimination policies, providing specialized training to officials and employees involved in recruitment and hiring for the New Jersey branch, and complying with mandatory reporting and EEOC monitoring requirements.

Conclusion:

The settlement underscores the importance of evaluating job candidates based on qualifications rather than age. By implementing these measures, Hatzel & Buehler aims to ensure fair and non-discriminatory hiring practices moving forward.