No More Mandatory Retirement For British Columbia

Posted by: Nate Berg

27 April 2007 - 5:00am

With Baby Boomers moving into their 60s and a significantly smaller population of younger workers, officials in British Columbia have passed a bill that will do away with the province's mandatory retirement age of 65.

"The bill amends the Human Rights Code to prevent employers from imposing retirement on anyone in any workplace as of Jan. 1, 2008. 'What it really means is that if you’re laid off or terminated after 65, you have a remedy under the Human Rights Code where as before you didn’t,' Oppal said."

"But he cautioned that the bill doesn’t mean people will be forced to work longer."

"The move comes as the number of British Columbians over the age of 65 is expected to more than double over the next 25 years. Moreover, the province estimates there will be a million job openings in B.C. over the next decade, while only 650,000 students will graduate to fill the labour market."

Full Story: B.C. to ban mandatory retirement

Source: Times Colonist, April 26, 2007