The Tel Aviv District Labor Court last week ordered IBM Israel Ltd. to pay a fired 62-year old employee NIS 192,000 in compensation, after ruling that he had been fired because of his age, and that the hearing process was flawed. Judge Ravit Sadik said that she found no genuine reason for firing the employee, and concluded that it was a case of age discrimination that contravened the Equality of Opportunities In Labor Law (5748-1988).
Judge Sadik said, "When employing an elderly employee, whose advanced age makes it difficult to find another job, we believe that being fired at 62 is tantamount to the end of the road for that employee… In view of the fired employee's age, we believe that IBM should have actively sought to find a suitable alternative for the employee, who will reach retirement age in a few years."
Judge Sadik ruled that there were flaws in the firing procedure of the employees, including a sudden summoning to a hearing, after being told only to "attend a meeting", thereby preventing him from preparing a proper response. The judge ordered IBM Israel to pay the employee eight monthly salaries, amounting to NIS 142,000, in compensation for these flaws.
The employee was awarded NIS 50,000 for distress and the discrimination.
The employee was fired after working at IBM Israel for 11 years, during which time he was considered a dedicated employee, until he was fired in October 2007.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on March 23, 2011
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