Work is a very important aspect of a person’s life: for some it is even fundamental, the center around
which everyone’s mood revolves for the rest of the day. It is indeed an activity that occupies a large part
of our time and which, in addition to providing a feeling of fulfillment, marks a real routine that is
difficult to give up. Mr. Glenn Cowie, a 58-year-old who worked for the international engineering firm
Vesuvius for 37 years, and who was recently fired for being «too old», knows this well. Let’s find out the
details of the story together.

The decision to dismiss him was taken by the company’s general manager, Patrick Andre. The manager
hired a young woman and encouraged other managers to «shed» older employees in favor of employees
under 45. To make matters worse, in the middle of a meeting, Andre had described Glenn as «an old
fossil who couldn’t handle a bunch of Millennials.» A few weeks later he presented the dismissal letter
to the 58-year-old, who was shocked at the way he had been treated. The man remembered the
comment vividly because «it was so unexpected and inappropriate».

Furious at what he had suffered, Glenn opted to go to court to seek justice: «The company has exercised
deep-seated, institutional biases against mature employees. I have worked for Vesuvius for almost forty
years and I do not can accept being told that I am fired because of my age. It is a blow for me. I have
always given the best of myself, developing my skills and my experience year after year “, commented
Glenn.

«It is difficult to fully describe the mental anguish I suffered from the treatment of this company. It was
severe and long lasting. I had dedicated 37 years of my life to the company. I lost confidence in me. I had
a really bad time because of that,» Glenn explained during the hearing. The court ruled in favor of Glenn,
awarding the company compensation of nearly 40,000 euros, plus further compensation at a later stage.

The company rejected the claims of discrimination and a spokesperson for Vesuvius said: «We are
disappointed with the outcome of this case and have already appealed the original decision. We will
review this decision with our legal advisers and decide if another call is needed».

What do you think ? Do you find the result of this judgment just?