Huron Expositor, 2006-12-17, Page 28News
The'Huron Expositor • December 27, 2006 Page 28
End of mandatory retirement shouldn't affect
local employers, says economic officer
Jeff H e u c h e r t
Workers in Ontario can no
longer be forced off the job
at age 65, thanks to a new
law from the provincial gov-
ernment that went into
effect last week.
And while eliminating the
mandatory retirement age
may have an
effect on some
larger busi-
nesses, in
large urban
centres, rep-.
resentatives
from a num-
ber of local
employers say
the change
will have lit-
tle to no effect
on how they
do business.
Huron East
economic
development
officer .Ralph
Laviolette says the new law
won't effect local businesses
since many already have to
rely on an older work force.
He says many of the
younger workers that live in
the area tend to find
employment in larger mar-
kets rather than work in a
more rural centre.
"Independent businesses
will not be effected by the
age limit being removed," he
said.
At Progressive Turf
Equipment Inc., in Seaforth,
plant manager Chris Meier
says while they do have one
employee over 65 and a cou-
r` ple approaching 60 years of
age, their decision over the
years to not implement the
mandatory retirement age
has been a "favourable" one.
"We didn't want to be
another form of pressure (to
retire, in addition to the
government). It created a
positive environment where
they could feel like they
could stay," he says of the
workers.
Meier adds that workers
are in much better health
nowadays at 65 then they
were 20 or 50 years ago at
that age, and therefore it's
easier for. them to keep
working longer.
While some critics of the
new law say businesses
won't be willing to make
allowances for older workers
who aren't physically capa-
ble to continue working,
possibly resulting in
older employees being
laid off, Meier says that
hasn't been been the
case.
`It created a
positive
environment
where they
could feel like
they could
stay,' -
Chris Meier, of
Progressive Turf
He adds
that in those
particular
instances,
where an
employee
can no longer
do a specific
job, there are
usually other
duties
among the
business
they can pick
up.
Site
jadministra-
tor for the
Seaforth Community
Hospital Mary Cardinal
says the hospital cur-
rently has quite a few
employees over the age
of 65.
She adds that they've
had no issues of employ-
ees over the age of 65 not
being able to do their
assigned duties.
"At the present,
Seaforth, or any of the
four Alliance hospitals
for that matter, do not
anticipate any signifi-
cant changes," she says.
Superintendent of edu-
cation with the Avon
Maitland District School
Board Jim Sheppard
says the change to the
law will likely not result
in more teachers contin-
uing to work.
He says that once most
teachers have worked
the mandatory number
of years, usually into
their late 50s or early
60s, for their full pen-
sion, most choose to
retire.
However, he says some
do choose to keep work-
ing and he believes they
should be able to.
"If they are capable
and they want to keep
working, then why
should they have to retire?"
One possible spin off for
Seaforth and the area from
the province dropping the
mandatory retirement age,
says Laviolette, could be
from the older residents
moving into the Bridges
development, that may want
to still work on a part-time
basis.
"As people move into
Bridges, there will be a lot
of skills and opportunities
for people to continue work-
ing," he says.
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In addition to our regul
hours we will be open on
Sunday, Dec 31
10am-5pm
losed Monday, Jan
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