Final answer:
Under the amended Age Discrimination in Employment Act, an employer can no longer force retirement based on age. This act is enforced by the EEOC to prevent ageism and to ensure merit-based employment for workers of all ages.
Step-by-step explanation:
Under the amended Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), with few exceptions an employer can no longer mandate retirement at a certain age. The ADEA, enacted in 1967 and later amended, strives to protect workers from age-based discrimination in the workplace, including forced retirement due to age. It addresses issues such as wrongful termination, age-specific layoffs, and age limits in job advertisements. The Act complements the protections offered by the Social Security Act, which provides old-age insurance and retirement benefits to qualifying workers, and has evolved to accommodate changing legislative standards regarding retirement age.
The EEOC (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) enforces these laws to combat ageism, which is prejudice and discrimination based solely on age. The amendments to the ADEA emphasize the importance of evaluating employees on their merits rather than age, providing a fair and level playing field for all workers, regardless of age. This ensures that older employees can continue to work and contribute to society free from the constraints of mandatory retirement, thus offering them financial stability and the ability to benefit from employment opportunities.