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Backgrounder
Document d'information

FACTS AND FIGURES: MANDATORY RETIREMENT

Mandatory Retirement across Canada

• Manitoba, Quebec and the Yukon do not allow mandatory retirement.

A Senior Population

• In Ontario, the number of seniors is expected to increase from an estimated 1.5 million in 2004 to 3.7 million by 2031.
• Seniors will account for approximately 22.3 per cent of Ontario’s population by 2031, compared with about 12.8 per cent in 2004.
• The short-term impact of ending mandatory retirement is likely to be small in Ontario. Approximately 100,000 people reach 65 every year. It is estimated that 4,000 workers could stay in the labour force each year if not required to retire at age 65.

Chronology

• In June 2001, the Ontario Human Rights Commission released the paper, Time for Action: Advancing Human Rights for Older Ontarians, recommending the elimination of mandatory retirement.
• In August 2004, the government released a public consultation paper on ending mandatory age-based retirement in Ontario.
• Public consultations were held across the province in September 2004. During this time, the government also conducted consultations with stakeholders and experts.
• Legislation was introduced in June 2005, passed on December 8 and received Royal Assent on December 12, 2005, with a one-year transition period before coming into force on December 12, 2006.

Benefits to Society

• Ending mandatory retirement will offer employers the opportunity to retain experienced employees. This will address skill shortage issues in some sectors.
• Employees will be judged on skills and ability, not an arbitrary age.
• By enabling people who have come late to the workforce, including women and recently-arrived immigrants, the opportunity to continue working, they will be better able to secure their financial future.

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Public Inquiries:

Ontarians can go to www.ontario.ca/mandatoryretirement for more information on the provisions of the act and how they apply. A toll-free telephone line is also available for public inquiries at 1-800-531-5551.

See also:

• News Release: Ontarians Now Have the Right to Choose When to Retire
• Backgrounder: Ending Mandatory Retirement: What it Means
• Mandatory Retirement