The beginning of the end of workplace age discrimination How often do you hear: "there oughta be a law!" Changing the law to redress a wrong is certainly the first step but rarely the last. So it is with mandatory retirement -- forcing someone to retire at a set age despite being fully capable of doing the job -- is no longer legal thanks to the passage of Bill C-13 in December. But that doesn't mean workplace age discrimination has been eliminated. Law firms are already debating "how" to get rid of older workers -- without a thought as to "whether" they should. In Parliamentary hearings, CARP faced down arguments like: older workers present a safety hazard, retraining is too costly or younger people need their jobs. So it was no small feat to get the law changed against this landscape of prejudice and devaluing of older workers -- which is why it has taken over 20 years! And this is why workplace age discrimination continues to be a challenge for older workers even without mandatory retirement. Make no mistake, you don't have to be 65-plus to be considered an older worker. Age discrimination in the work place can begin at 45 or 55, when a passing joke labels you 'over the hill' or the moment you're passed over for promotion because you may not have as many 'good years' left as a younger employee. Right up to the last minute, an impressive array of employers' groups and a pilots'