Ikea Accused of Systemic Bias Against Older Workers

By Patrick Dorrian

The “Ikea way” is to favor younger workers over older ones when it comes to mentoring and promotions, a Pennsylvania-based employee of the furniture retailer alleges in a federal lawsuit.

The company for at least two years has systematically denied advancement opportunities to hourly retail workers age 40 and over because of their age, Frank Donofrio says in a complaint filed in federal court in Philadelphia Feb. 12. Donofrio is 54 years old and has “been an outstanding hourly retail ‘coworker’” with Ikea since 2011, the complaint says. However, he hasn’t been promoted to the management level ...