The ADEA group is the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission (EEOC) an agency of the federal government. The ADEA is the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, which protects workers over the age of 40 against discrimination due to age. This covers refusal to hire an employee because of age, discharge of an employee because of age, and reduction of employee benefits because of age. In addition, the statute prohibits mandatory retirement ages in most cases. The essence of ADEA is that employers may not, in any way, discriminate against an employee or candidate for hire, simply because of their age. In recent years, the EEOC has seen a rise in age discrimination claims, indicating that more age discrimination is occurring as the American workforce ages, or at least there is the perception that older workers are the victims of more age discrimination. Workers who believe they are the victim of age discrimination should file a complaint with the EEOC.