If an employee-plaintiff proves that the employer-defendant willfully violated the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), then the court is also allowed to award liquidated damages:

Liquidated damages awarded by the court as a proof that an employer willfully violated the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) are damages whose amount the employer is designated to pay the employee as compensation for breaching the age discrimination act. This payment is in line with the provisions of the contract binding both parties.

Explanation:

The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) specifically prohibits the use of an employee's or job applicant's age as a factor in hiring.

ADEA can is practiced when older workers are:

being fired or offered buyouts, and younger ones are being hired. reassigned to unpleasant duties. being emotionally abused denied promotion. given poor performance reviews.

which are the total of back pay, front pay, and any other unpaid wage liability owed to the employee-plaintiff