GlaxoSmithKline lawsuit claims company fires older works

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GlaxoSmithKline lawsuit overview: 

• Who: GlaxoSmithKline has been hit with a lawsuit by a former employee.
• Why: The plaintiff alleges she and others were fired because they were older. 
• Where: The GlaxoSmithKline lawsuit was filed in a Pennsylvania federal court.

GlaxoSmithKline has been hit with a lawsuit by a medicinal chemistry worker who says she and other employees over 50 were systematically fired to make room for employees in their 20s, 30s and early 40s, in violation of the law.

Plaintiff Joelle Burgess filed her complaint against GlaxoSmithKline LLC on Jan. 25 in a Pennsylvania federal court, alleging violations of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act and the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act.

The plaintiff says she had been working at the pharmaceutical and biotechnology company for 31 years when, in 2022, she was fired for no reason.

“Defendant terminated plaintiff’s employment because of her age and/or her age discrimination complaints,” the lawsuit states, adding Burgess was born in 1969.

“Defendant offered no explanation, including the selection criteria, as to why plaintiff, in particular, was terminated while younger, less-experienced and/or less- qualified employees were retained.”

Young employees hired, older employees fired, lawsuit alleges

Burgess says she worked as a medicinal chemistry investigator in GlaxoSmithKline’s corporate office in Pennsylvania from 1990 until she was fired in January 2022. 

In 2020, the company started hiring six new medicinal chemistry investigators, all of whom were 30 years old or younger. 

In October 2021, GlaxoSmithKline announced it would be terminating 13 medicinal chemistry investigators and would be evaluating employees to see who should keep their jobs. 

Burgess said she had always received positive performance reviews. However, several months after the evaluation, she was told she and 8 other employees — seven of whom were also over 50 — would be the ones to lose their jobs. 

The majority of the employees who were able to keep their jobs were 40 or younger, she says, presenting the employees names, roles and ages in her lawsuit.

Burgess seeks damages, back pay, front pay, fees and costs.

GlaxoSmithKline has previously faced other litigation.

In 2022, GlaxoSmithKline was hit with two class action lawsuits alleging it knew that its blockbuster heartburn drug Zantac (ranitidine) could significantly increase users’ risk of cancer but failed to inform consumers about the risk.

What do you think of the allegations against GlaxoSmithKline in this case? Let us know in the comments.

The plaintiff is represented by Kevin C. Console and Evelyn Kallenbach of Console Mattiacci Law LLC.

The GlaxoSmithKline lawsuit is Joelle Burgess, et al. v. GlaxoSmithKline LLC, Case No. 2:23-cv-00303, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

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