As employees grow older and gain tenure on the job, they usually earn more benefits and higher wages than their younger co­workers. This may prompt some employers to force older employees to retire early, so they can hire younger workers for less money. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act, also known as the ADEA, protects people over age 40 from being terminated, forced to retire, or denied a job just because of their age. The ADEA covers employees of labor organizations, local, state, and federal governments, as well as workers in the private sector. The ADEA doesn't cover police and fire department officials and executives over age 65 whose annual pension benefits total 44 thousand dollars or more. It may be legal for an employer to eliminate a worker because of age if the employer can establish age as a bona fide occupational qualification. For example, most manual labor jobs require strength and stamina, which may eliminate many people over a certain age. If you believe that you've been discriminated against because of your age, contact your local Equal Employment Opportunity Commission office.