The Canadian province of Saskatchewan has taken steps that will eliminate a mandatory retirement age of 65 in most workplaces (exempted are jobs like policemen and firefighters, where physical abilities constitute a significant part of the job). An amendment to the Saskatchewan Human Rights Code received royal assent last Thursday and goes into effect on November 17, according to CBC Saskatchewan. Currently, companies under provincial jurisdiction can require employees to retire at 65 without violating the code.
With the change, mandatory retirement will be considered discriminatory. Saskatchewan joins Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Yukon, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut, where mandatory retirement at 65 is discriminatory under local human rights legislation.