Hazen Paper Co. v. Biggins
United States Supreme Court
507 U.S. 604 (1993)
Biggins (plaintiff) worked as technical director for Hazen Paper Co. (defendant) for nearly a decade before being fired at 62, just weeks before his pension benefits would have vested. Biggins sued under both the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), claiming his firing was both age discrimination and an unlawful attempt to prevent his pension from vesting. Hazen argued Biggins was actually fired for doing business with competitors. Biggins won on both claims in the district court, and the First Circuit affirmed; Hazen sought review by the Supreme Court.
Whether an employer's decision to fire an older employee specifically to prevent his pension benefits from vesting establishes age discrimination under the ADEA, given that pension vesting is often correlated with an employee's age and years of service.