There are numerous laws in this country protecting people of all ages from discrimination. This includes young people and older Americans who are not respected or listened to because of their age. The federal Age Discrimination Act of 1975 protects citizens of all ages from discrimination in programs and activities that are federally funded. A comparable age discrimination law applies to discrimination in the workplace. The Age Discrimination Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA) protects workers over 40, in companies of 20 employees or more, from discrimination in hiring, firing, promotions, benefits, and pensions. An employer can deal with any employee based on qualifications and experience, even older employees. However, they cannot base their decisions on bias against those older employees. In cases where an employer must decided between two employees 40 or older, the employer is entitled to favor the older of the two.