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Eli Lilly Age Discrimination Class Action Lawsuit Overview:
- Who: Eli Lilly and Company, global pharmaceutical company
- What: Eli Lilly is accused of age discrimiinagion by passing over qualified, older job applicants in favor of younger people.
- Where: Indiana
Global pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly rejects the applications of older workers in favor of less-qualified younger people, in a policy that favors Millennials and college students, a new nationwide class action lawsuit alleges.
Plaintiffs Jerad Grimes and Georgia Emily Edmondson filed the class action complaint against Eli Lilly and Company Wednesday in an Indiana court, alleging violations of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act.
The pair, who say they are both qualified sales reps, say they applied for positions across the country in different cities and states to work for Eli Lilly in its Diabetes Business Unit and Primary Care Business Unit.
However, they allege their applications for employment “were rejected and they were never hired despite being as qualified or more qualified than younger applicants who were hired.”
The pair say Eli Lilly – which reported worldwide revenue of $24.5 billion in 2020 – prides itself on attracting and retaining young workers. Their lawsuit alleges that Eli Lilly actively eliminates from consideration older individuals for its Sales Representative positions.
“Rather, it prefers to hire, and except in rare circumstances does hire younger individuals, with an emphasis on hiring through on-campus hiring or hiring of interns with little to no experience.”
The lawsuit says the proof of this can be seen in the company’s disproportionate employment of employees under the age of 40.
The plaintiffs allege Eli Lilly’s unlawful bias against older applicants manifests through a “near-exclusive reliance” on a recruitment system that requires applicants to be affiliated with a university or to be part of Eli Lilly’s internship program.
Eli Lilly Engages in Age Discrimination by Actively Recruiting ‘Millennials’ and ‘Early Career Professionals,’ Class Action Claims
They also say the company has a stated strategy of attracting and hiring people it terms “Millennials” or “Early Career Professionals,” and creating quotas for recruiting these types of hires.
“As a result of this bias against older sales representatives, who are equally or more qualified, such persons have been systematically excluded from the job/career opportunities afforded to younger Eli Lilly applicants,” the complaint claims.
Grimes, 49, says he applied for all available sales rep positions in Eli Lilly’s Diabetes Business Unit and Primary Care Business Unit between dates in 2017 and 2020 and was rejected each time. Edmondson, 55, said she applied for all available sales rep positions in Eli Lilly’s Diabetes Business Unit and Primary Care Business Unit from 2018 to 2020 and was rejected each time.
They are looking to represent all prospective applicants at the company over the age of 40 who applied for roles and were rejected.
The plaintiffs are seeking damages including back pay, lost benefits, compensatory damages for emotional distress, pain and suffering, injunctive relief, attorneys’ fees and costs and a jury trial.
Eli Lilly is currently facing another class action lawsuit from a group of New York clinics that claim four major pharmaceutical companies – Sanofi, Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk and AstraZeneca – conspired to cause insulin price increases for poor and underserved patients.
What do you think about the allegations in this case? Let us know in the comments!
The plaintiff is represented by J. Corey Asay and Gregory R. Schmitz at Morgan & Morgan, P.A.
The Eli Lilly Age Discrimination Case is Grime et al., v. Eli Lilly and Company, Case No 1:21-cv-02367-RLY-DLP in the U.S. District Court Southern District of Indiana Indianapolis Division.
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2 thoughts onEli Lilly Accused of Age Discrimination, New Class Action Claims Company Hires Young Employees Over Older Ones
Same thing happened to me, I met all requirements for the positions. Was rejected over and over but I witnessed individuals without a degree get hired in. I live in Indianapolis IN.
Add me please