Age discrimination work practices only serve to take away the value of skill and years of service only to focus on youth and outdated ideas. It is 2009 and there are women in their 50's 60's and even 70's giving birth and yet some companies think that anyone over 40 or so is just too old. Men in their 60's and 70's and beyond are still plowing and working fields and farms. Are they too old to "work"? The advantage to youth may be speed. Other than that, basically, it is aesthetic. Younger and cuter are what many bosses are looking for rather than skill and knowledge. Employee beware, however because more and more age discrimination cases are going to court. In fact, the newest push is to stop the verbal abuse that older workers must endure. Calling a worker "old man" or "old girl" just isn't going to cut it much longer. Younger workers would certainly not tolerate an older worker calling them "baby Melissa" or anything similar. Discrimination is ugly regardless of the reason. Sadly, the number of age discrimination cases has grown dramatically over the past decade. Even just between 2006 and 2008 there was a sharp increase in the number of complaints. No one knows where the new administration will head with regard to discrimination but the speculation is that it will be even less tolerated than it is right now.