For immediate release
PITTSBURGH – A former employee of Enterprise Rent-A-Car alleged that he was constructively discharged as a result of a pattern of age discrimination perpetrated against him by the company over the course of several years.
According to a complaint filed in the Western District Court of Pennsylvania, Plaintiff Christopher Kolcun was employed as the Branch Manager for Enterprise Rent-A-Car at the company’s facility in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh. Throughout the course of his employment, Mr. Kolcun received an internal scoring in the top five of the company, which was considered extremely impressive across all departments and locations, according to the complaint. Despite this, Mr. Kolcun alleged that he was passed over for several upper-level management positions. According to the complaint, he was consistently discouraged from applying for any open positions.
At one point, an area manager indicated that Mr. Kolcun had missed his opportunity to move up in the company, as Enterprise Rent-A-Car officials were interested in hiring upper-level employees who were under age forty, possibly in their twenties or early thirties, according to the complaint. Mr. Kolcun alleged that it was implied that, at age forty-seven, he was not a viable candidate for an internal promotion. According to the complaint, the area manager further stated that Mr. Kolcun had hit his “celling” in terms of advancement within the company’s corporate structure.
Additionally, after seventeen years of strong performance reviews, Mr. Kolcun received a recommendation to make some improvement at his branch, according to the complaint. As a result, he alleged that he expanded store hours and put in as much overtime as possible. According to the complaint, typically, when a branch began to struggle, the company would provide support and assistance. Mr. Kolcun alleged he and his branch were not afforded that opportunity, despite being one of the most robust branches in the region.
According to the complaint, when Mr. Kolcun discussed his need for assistance with upper-level management, he was informed that, because he had several years of experience, the company would not provide him with the necessary support.
Mr. Kolcun alleged that, in conversations with co-workers, he was regarded as the old guy of the group and was the subject of jokes regarding his age. This came in the form of being told that he was affiliated with a “you know how I know you’re old list” and other regular remarks about his age, according to the complaint.
Eventually, Mr. Kolcun alleged he was constructively terminated as a result of on-going discrimination. After he left, his position was filled by a 25-year-old employee who had been with the company for about two years, according to the complaint.
Lead Attorney Sean Ruppert alleged in the two-count complaint a violation of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act and failure to promote based on age discrimination.
Prior to the filing of the lawsuit, Mr. Kolcun filed a complaint through the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and was provided a right to sue. The lawsuit was filed by Attorney Ruppert on April 1, 2020.
Ruppert Manes Narahari is a Pittsburgh-based employment law firm representing workers who have been wrongfully terminated, harassed, or cheated by their employers. The firm also provides business law-related services and represents small businesses and entrepreneurs in startup, transactional, and litigation matters.
For more information on the claims made by Mr. Kolcun against Enterprise Rent-A-Car, contact the law office of Ruppert Manes Narahari at 412-626-5626.
Comments