▁the ▁UK ▁population . ▁Disc rim ination ▁is ▁found ▁to ▁be ▁heter ogeneous ▁by ▁the ▁activity ▁older ▁candidates ▁under to ok ▁during ▁their ▁additional ▁post - ed uc ational ▁years . ▁In ▁Belg ium , ▁they ▁are ▁only ▁disc rimin ated ▁if ▁they ▁have ▁more ▁years ▁of ▁in activity ▁or ▁irrelevant ▁employ ment . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁Dr . ▁Robert ▁M . ▁McC ann , ▁an ▁associate ▁professor ▁of ▁management ▁communication ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Southern ▁California ' s ▁Marshall ▁School ▁of ▁Business , ▁den igr ating ▁older ▁workers , ▁even ▁if ▁only ▁subt ly , ▁can ▁have ▁an ▁out s ized ▁negative ▁impact ▁on ▁employee ▁product ivity ▁and ▁corpor ate ▁prof its . ▁For ▁American ▁corpor ations , ▁age ▁disc rim ination ▁can ▁lead ▁to ▁significant ▁exp enses . ▁In ▁F is cal ▁Year ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Equ al ▁Emp loyment ▁O pport unity ▁Commission ▁received ▁nearly ▁ 1 7 , 0 0 0 ▁charges ▁of ▁age ▁disc rim ination , ▁resol ving ▁more ▁than ▁ 1 4 , 0 0 0 ▁and ▁recover ing ▁$ 5 1 . 5 ▁million ▁in ▁mon et ary ▁benefits . ▁Cost s ▁from ▁law suit ▁settlement s ▁and ▁jud g ments ▁can ▁run ▁into ▁the ▁millions , ▁most ▁not ably ▁with ▁the ▁$ 2 5 0 ▁million ▁paid ▁by ▁the ▁California ▁Public ▁Emp loy ees ' ▁Ret irement ▁System ▁( Cal PER S ) ▁under ▁a ▁settlement ▁agreement ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 3 . ▁ ▁Hollywood