Ontarians will soon have the freedom to choose when to retire, as the end of mandatory retirement in Ontario for most Ontario employees is less than a month away, Labour Minister Steve Peters said today.

With the effective date less than a month away, employers and workers should ensure they are familiar with the requirements of the act and its possible effect on workplace policies and practices.

Ontarians can go to www.ontario.ca/mandatoryretirement for more information on the provisions of the act and how they apply.

The Ending Mandatory Retirement Statute Law Amendment Act, 2006 was enacted by the legislative assembly in December 2005. The government provided a one-year transition period to ensure everyone is ready for the new law to take effect on Dec. 12, 2006.

When the legislation takes effect, it will amend the Ontario Human Rights Code to protect people aged 65 and over from age discrimination for most employment purposes. The legislation also amends a variety of other statutes that have provisions connected to mandatory retirement.