Iowa Admin. Code r. 161-8.15

Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 25, May 29, 2024

Rule 161-8.15 - Age discrimination in employment

(1) Any person who has reached 18 years of age may not be excluded from an employment right because of an arbitrary age limitation and shall be an aggrieved party for the purposes of Iowa Code section 216.15, regardless of whether the person is excluded by reason of excessive age or insufficient age, and shall possess all the rights and remedies for discrimination provided in section 216.15.

(2) No employer, employment agency, or labor organization shall set an arbitrary age limitation in relation to employment or membership except as otherwise provided by commission rules or by the Iowa Code.

(3) Help wanted notices. No newspaper or other publication published within the state of Iowa shall accept, publish, print or otherwise cause to be advertised any notice of an employment opportunity from an employer, employment agency, or labor organization containing any indication of a preference, limitation, or specification based upon age, except as provided in commission rules, unless the newspaper or publication has first obtained from the employer, employment agency, or labor organization an affidavit indicating that the age requirement for an applicant is a bona fide occupational qualification.

(4) Help wanted notices of advertisements shall not contain terms and phrases such as "young," "boy," "girl," "college student," "recent college graduate," "retired person," or others of a similar nature unless there is a bona fide occupational requirement for the position.

(5) Job applications for and other preemployment inquiries. An employer, employment agency or labor organization may make preemployment inquiry regarding the age of an applicant, provided that the inquiry is made in good faith for a nondiscriminatory purpose. Any preemployment inquiry in connection with prospective employment which expresses directly or indirectly any limitation, specification, or discrimination as to age shall be unlawful unless based upon a bona fide occupational qualification. The burden shall be on the employer, employment agency or labor organization to demonstrate that the direct or indirect preemployment inquiry is based upon a bona fide occupational qualification.

(6) Nothing in the above shall be construed to prohibit any inquiry as to whether an applicant is over 18 years of age.

(7) Nothing in the above shall be construed to prohibit postemployment inquiries as to age where the inquiries serve legitimate record-keeping purposes.

(8) Bona fide occupational qualifications.

a. An employer, employment agency, or labor organization may take any action otherwise prohibited under commission rules where age is a bona fide occupational qualification reasonably necessary to the normal operation of the particular business.

b. The concept of the bona fide occupational qualification is narrow in scope and will not be applied to include the mere preference or convenience of the employer

c. Age requirements set by federal or state statute or regulatory agency shall be considered to be bona fide occupational qualifications where requirements are necessarily related to the work which the employee must perform.

d. A bona fide occupational qualification will also be recognized where there exist special, individual occupational circumstances such as where actors are required for characterizations of individuals of a specified age, or where persons are used to advertise or promote the sale of products designed for, and directed to, certain age groups.

Iowa Admin. Code r. 161-8.15