Brazilian court rules age discrimination in bank dismissal

A Brazilian labor court has recognized a case of age discrimination, known as etarismo, involving the dismissal of a 56-year-old bank employee. Despite a 36-year tenure, high performance, and no negative evaluations, the worker was replaced by a younger professional. Judge Nadia Pelissari of the 2nd Labor Court of Campo Grande ruled the dismissal discriminatory, noting a lack of technical or economic justification and evidence of a corporate discourse suggesting older employees needed to be replaced by 'Generation Y' to avoid being 'overrun by the younger generation.'

This legal ruling aligns with broader trends identified in the Michael Page 'Talent Trends 2025' study. According to the report, 41% of Brazilian professionals surveyed reported experiencing age-related discrimination at work, a figure higher than the global average of 36%. The study highlights that older workers often face exclusion from important projects or are targeted during corporate restructurings under the guise of seeking a 'new profile' or 'renewal.'