On April 25, 2007, the British Columbia Provincial Government introduced Bill 31, the Human

Rights Code (Mandatory Retirement Elimination) Amendment Act, 2007, which will take effect

on January 1, 2008. This change reflects the demographic reality that the number of British

Columbians over the age of 65 in the next 25 years will double, and means that British

Columbia’s position on mandatory retirement will fall in line with most of the other provinces in

Canada.

While the changes to the Code will have some positive results for employers and the economy in

general, there are however, some significant human resources implications and costs associated

with the elimination of an employer’s right to require employees to retire at age 65. The purpose

of this paper is to explain the changes to the Code, implications of those changes to employers,

and to offer some practical suggestions as to what companies should start thinking about in

anticipation of January 1, 2008.