Age Discrimination in Employment ActIn 1967 Congress passed the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) to protect employees and job applicants over age 40. The law prohibits labor organizations, state and local governments, and employers with 20 or more employees from discriminating based on age. Prohibited acts include depriving older employees employment opportunities or paying them less than younger workers. The ADEA was one of many civil rights laws passed in the 1960s.