Effective December 12, 2006, mandatory retirement will no longer be generally permissible in Ontario, (as a result of amendments to the Ontario Human Rights Code). Employers will, however, still be allowed to enforce mandatory retirement polices if they can show that being younger than 65 (or another designated age) is a bona fide occupational requirement.
As reported in the media on December 2, 2006, Premier Campbell has announced that mandatory retirement in BC will also soon be abolished. Specifically, it is expected that the BC Human Rights Code will be amended in Spring 2007, with the result being that mandatory retirement policies will not be generally permissible in this province.
Similarly, on November 6, 2006 the Saskatchewan Government introduced Bill 9, which will amend the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code, with the result that mandatory retirement policies will not be generally permissible in that province if Bill 9 is enacted. However, the amendments would not come into force for one year after Royal Assent.
Mandatory retirement is already not generally permissible in Alberta, Manitoba, Quebec, PEI, Yukon, the NWT and Nunavut.
Greg Gowe
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