An amendment to the Ontario Human Rights Code goes into effect Tuesday to prevent seniors from facing age discrimination at work, and it makes mandatory retirement illegal in the province.

Mandatory retirement was already banned in several provinces and territories, including Alberta, Manitoba, Quebec, Prince Edward Island, Nunavut, the Yukon and the Northwest Territories.

Labour Minister Steve Peters said Ontario residents should also be able to choose when to retire based on their lifestyles, circumstances and priorities.

Jim Bradley, the Ontario minister responsible for seniors, said older workers have valuable experience to share, and deserve to be evaluated based on their performance rather than on assumptions about people their age.

The province estimates about 4,000 of the 100,000 Ontario residents turning 65 each year will take advantage of the new law. Source...