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AT&T Inc has settled a nationwide lawsuit by a U.S. agency accusing it of age discrimination for refusing to rehire tens of thousands of workers who had retired from the largest U.S. telephone company.

The three-year consent decree resolves an August 2009 lawsuit by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which enforces federal anti-discrimination laws.

It requires AT&T to end any prohibitions against rehiring workers who left under two retirement programs between 1998 and 2001 and one related to SBC Communications Inc's 2005 purchase of the former AT&T Corp, which created the current company.

AT&T must also update its databases to ensure former workers are not "blocked" from being rehired and certify annually in writing it is complying with the decree.

"The revised policies will not act as a barrier to hiring as employees or engaging as non-payroll workers otherwise qualified individuals," according to the decree, which was approved on Monday by U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken in Manhattan. The decree was made public on Tuesday.

The EEOC had accused Dallas-based AT&T of having no legitimate reason not to rehire workers who retired under the programs, a number it estimated as exceeding 50,000.

AT&T spokesman Marty Richter said on Tuesday the company is committed to complying fully with U.S. laws concerning employment discrimination.

http://my.news.yahoo.com/t-settles-eeoc-nationwide-age-bias-lawsuit-211628281.html

By Jonathan Stempel | Reuters 

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