Canadian and U.S. residents currently work side by side with colleagues from five different generations. As the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped the workplace, experts say older workers in both countries have been denied new career opportunities and access to job training.
"Ageism is prevalent in every aspect of the employment lifecycle—from recruiting to termination," said Frank Cania, SHRM-SCP, founder and president of HR Compliance Experts LLC in Pittsford, N.Y.
Around 93 percent of older employees say they have seen or experienced age discrimination in the workplace, according to a 2022 survey by AARP.
"We need older workers to stay in the workforce longer," said Laura Tamblyn Watts, founder and CEO of CanAge, Canada's national seniors advocacy organization, in Toronto. "Older workers stabilize teams, and they have strong skills working with all generations."
Age Discrimination Protection
Tamblyn Watts noted that U.S. companies are pushing forward faster with age discrimination protections, whereas in Canada, the federal government is taking the lead while companies are lagging behind.
The Canada Labor Code eliminated mandatory retirement in federally regulated workplaces in 2012, explained Ellie Berger, associate professor of sociology and anthropology at Nipissing University in North Bay, Ontario.
Age discrimination cases at most of Canada's private companies are handled at the provincial level, Berger noted.
Employees over 18 years old in Manitoba, Ontario and...
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