Gender Discrimination in Advertisements

Employers are not permitted to place ads in newspapers that declare preferences on the basis of gender, such as "Help Wanted-Male" or "Young, Attractive Receptionist Wanted." The Department of Labor and the EEOC state that help wanted notices or advertisements containing any reference to sex or age (such as "age 25 to 35 preferred" or "recent male college graduate") violate the law. However, requesting an experienced, mature female worker in an advertisement is not illegal since this does not discriminate against older female workers. If you seek to apply for a job through an illegal ad that affects you adversely, speak to a lawyer immediately.