Government of Canada Strikes Down Mandatory Retirement

Major Human Rights Victory for Canada's Aging Population

OTTAWA, Dec. 16, 2011 /CNW/ - The Canadian Human Rights Commission welcomes the Government of Canada's decisive action in moving to repeal sections of the Canadian Human Rights Act and Canada Labour Code that permit employers to force employees to retire once they reach a certain age, regardless of their ability to do the job.

"We're not born with date stamps saying our fitness for work expires at 65," David Langtry, Acting Chief Commissioner of the Canadian Human Rights Commission said. "Age discrimination is discrimination, pure and simple."

The repeal of the mandatory retirement provisions in Canadian law was contained in the Budget Implementation Act, which has now received Royal Assent.

The Canadian Human Rights Commission has called for repeal of the mandatory retirement provisions of the Canadian Human Rights Act since 1979.

All Canadian jurisdictions, with the exception of the federal jurisdiction and New Brunswick, have since abolished mandatory retirement. Many federally regulated employers as well as the federal public service abolished it on their own initiative. To date there has been no evidence of any significant detrimental impact on employers, pensions, safety, or job progression.

As Canada's boomer generation ages, more and more people want to continue to work past retirement age, whether for personal or financial reasons.

For further information:

or to request an interview, please call:

David Gollob,
Director of Communications
Canadian Human Rights Commission
[phone]