Fiat Chrysler U.S. Arm Can’t Slip Suit by 55-and-Older Workers

FCA US LLC can’t avoid a claim that its job review process has a discriminatory effect on employees 55 and older, a federal judge ruled.

The Aug. 6 decision by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan addressed a novel legal question: Does federal age discrimination law let subsets of 40-and-over workers sue as a class when they believe they’ve been harmed by unintended bias arising from an employer’s facially neutral policy or practice? The law does allow it, the court said.

FCA contended that the Age Discrimination in Employment Act only protects workers who are 40 ...