Mandatory Retirement for Firefighters, Deputies Repealed
The Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to repeal Los Angeles County’s mandatory retirement policy for sheriff’s deputies and firefighters after testimony from several 60-year-old employees who said it amounted to age discrimination.
The new policy can only apply to future hires, however. Because of various county, state and federal guidelines, a state law is required to repeal the policy as it applies to current employees who want to stay on the job past the age of 60.
Saying they want to help those employees and avoid any appearance of age discrimination, the supervisors also voted on a separate motion to seek such urgency state legislation.
About 35 law enforcement officers and firefighters are scheduled to retire beginning April 1 if such legislation cannot be passed. In all, about 330 sheriff’s deputies and firefighters will be forced to retire over the next five years if there is not a change in the law.
The supervisors also said any employee over 60 who is forced to retire can be rehired by the county, but only for 120 days a year.
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