Manager sues TJX, says he was fired after refusing to downgrade older workers

Velez alleges he began noticing what he believed to be age discrimination against employees 60 and older, along with unfair treatment of an Assistant Manager who had medical limitations. He also says a significantly younger employee was getting preferential treatment. He took those concerns through internal channels, including human resources and senior leadership, and on or about April 4, 2023, he says he formally raised them. 

For HR readers, the next allegation is the one that lands hardest. Velez claims he was told to downgrade the performance evaluations of older employees, even as a much younger worker was treated more favorably. When he pushed back, he says, the response was swift. He alleges he was transferred under restrictive conditions, suddenly placed under heavier scrutiny, stripped of some of his communication and decision-making authority, and disciplined for the first time in years. 

About a week after the transfer, the filing states, Velez found himself the subject of a Loss Prevention inquiry over the use of a store incentive card. He says the money came from a third-party rewards program tied to store performance and was commonly spent on things like employee morale initiatives. He acknowledges one purchase was made in error and says he did not try to hide it. No criminal charges were filed, he says, and no one asked him to pay anything back. 

He also alleges he was instructed on how to write his statement and was led to believe cooperating would count in his favor. Soon after, he was fired. 

The lawsuit raises claims under the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Florida Civil Rights Act. Velez, who is representing himself, is asking for back pay, front pay, compensatory damages, additional damages under the ADEA, and attorneys’ fees.