Age discrimination in retirement: in search of an alternative

American employers have traditionally relied on age as the criterion for mandatory retirement. Yet advances in medicine indicate the inadequacy of age as a measure of job competence and suggest the potential for a more reliable measure. With current social and economic conditions pressing many employees to seek to work beyond mandatory retirement ages set by their employers, transition to more reliable measures has become a vital matter. This Note explores the potential for implementing medically-based alternatives to the age proxy. It initially addresses problems of medical feasibility and economic practicality, and considers how the divergent interests of employees and employers can be accommodated. The balance of the Note examines the present roles of Congress, agencies, and courts in facilitating age-blind mandatory retirement policy. It suggests the need for reform of the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act and recommends a more effective distribution of roles among governmental institutions.