Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Score One For Tories

OTTAWA — The federal Conservatives are contemplating key policy changes for seniors, including eliminating the mandatory retirement age, at a time when the demographic is of growing importance to the party's future.

You shouldn't have to retire if you can still do the work. Its that simple. It also makes pragmatic good sense, as young workers seem to be getting harder to come by. Demographic winter, and all that.

9 comments:

double nickel said...

They also know that many Canadians haven't saved anything for retirement and won't be able to make it on CPP and OAS. The option is to either fix those programs or keep them working until they drop. Freedom 80 anyone?

Anonymous said...

"Get back to work, you lazy layabouts! You're a drain on the economy. Godammit Grandma, quit crying! This is for your own good! My dream of an unfettered market will eventually decimate your RRSPs!"

Fillibluster said...

The boomer bulge has started to hit 65. I'm convinced that the CPP is underfunded and the government will make it harder and harder for retirees to collect.

This move is but step 1.

bigcitylib said...

Step 3 is soylent green.

dinoibo said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
rabbit said...

I agree ... sort of.

What happens, though, when some old fellow tries to hold on to his job far beyond his ability to do it? He might be waiting for the company to fire him with severance, particularly if he's been with the company for decades.

Lack of a mandatory retirement age might be a serious drain on companies' resources, as they are forced to make big payouts to get rid of unproductive employees.

Reality Bites said...

Of course labour law, for the most part isn't under federal jurisdiction. This would apply only to those people employed in industries under federal jurisdiction.

In most provinces there is no mandatory retirement.

http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/lp/spila/clli/eslc/19Mandatory_Retirement.shtml

double nickel said...

@rabbit...if you can't do the job you get tossed..it doesn't matter if you're old or mentally ill. Some provinces mandate that an employer accommodate someone who is ill, but the bottom line is that if you can't do the job, you're gone.

rabbit said...

double-nickel:

That's the theory all right. In practice it's more difficult, and so many companies pay severance even to those who they fire for cause. The legal wranglings just aren't worth it.