Ontario’s new law to end mandatory retirement will provide greater fairness and choice for workers aged 65 and older, Labour Minister Steve Peters announced today.

“Ending mandatory retirement is the right thing to do. It provides choice and removes discrimination in the workplace against older workers without undermining existing rights to pensions, early retirement and benefits plans,” said Peters, in a release.

The Ending Mandatory Retirement Statute Law Amendment Act is expected to receive Royal Assent shortly. The legislation will take effect one year later.

“We want to give Ontarians time to get ready for the change. Some employers, for instance, may need to adapt their human resources policies and practices to comply with the law,” said Peters. “Ending mandatory retirement allows workers to decide when to retire based on lifestyle, circumstance and priorities.”

The legislation also amends a variety of other statutes that have provisions connected to mandatory retirement.