The Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Canada established the Expert Panel on Older Workers on January 23, 2007. The Panel's task was to consider the current situation and future prospects of older workers, and to make recommendations to the government  for enhancing the labour market prospects of older workers and supporting older worker adjustment

. The Panel offered 13 recommendations.

Recommendation 1:

That the federal government, in consultation with the private sector, unions and civil society, undertake a comprehensive and sustained awareness campaign to promote the value and benefits to individuals and employers of continued and active participation in the labour force, to reduce ageism and to remove negative stereotypes surrounding older workers.

Recommendation 2:

That the federal government eliminate mandatory retirement in the federal jurisdiction by amending the Canadian Human Rights Act to extend the coverage of the Act by removing exceptions that have the effect of permitting mandatory retirement for persons aged 65 and older. This amendment of the Canadian Human Rights Act should be undertaken in a manner that allows for flexibility by respecting current bona fide occupational requirements based on age.

Recommendation 3:

That the federal government work with provincial and territorial governments to promote the value, benefits and importance to individuals and employers of increasing the levels of training and literacy, both in the workplace and through other programs, and to also promote the need for continuous learning throughout individuals' working lives.

Recommendation 4:

That the federal, provincial and territorial governments work together to undertake and implement changes to the tax and pension systems that would remove systemic barriers and disincentives to work, with the aim of achieving a program design that provides choices and flexibility for older workers who wish to participate in the labour force and earn income.

Recognizing that this will require coordination of changes to pension and tax systems across jurisdictions, the governments should:

* move to eliminate the work cessation clause in the Canada Pension Plan; * allow eligible individuals to work and receive benefits while still contributing to a pension plan; * minimize work disincentive effects associated with the Guaranteed Income Supplement clawback provisions; and * continue to promote phased retirement through facilitated changes in the tax and pension systems.

Recommendation 5:

That the federal government authorize Statistics Canada to design and implement a new national Survey of Displaced Workers as a regular supplement to the Labour Force Survey. The new survey should be conducted at least biennially and in a manner that permits analyses on older worker transitions between work and retirement. It should include relevant information about permanent job losses experienced during three or more years prior to the survey.

Recommendation 6:

That the federal government authorize Statistics Canada to design and implement a new national longitudinal Survey of Work to Retirement Transitions. The new survey should be conducted at least biennially and preferably annually. The survey would permit longitudinal analyses of older worker transitions from work to retirement and should include information about the factors that influence workers' retirement decisions.

Recommendation 7:

That the federal government establish a centre for the study of the implications of the aging population on the labour market, the economy, competitiveness and productivity. The role of the centre would be to:

* collect relevant information about older workers; * conduct research and analysis on the economic implications of the aging population, and increase public awareness of the realities of the aging labour force and the economic issues associated with the aging population; and * disseminate relevant up-to-date information and knowledge about the economic aspects of the aging population to employers, individuals and other interested and affected stakeholders.

Recommendation 8:

That the regulations under the existing EI program be changed so that severance payments made to workers who become unemployed after a period of long tenure in the workplace and who have not been EI recipients on a regular basis, are no longer considered earnings for purposes of EI. This would enable those claimants to collect EI Part I benefits after the 2-week waiting period.

For the purpose of the recommendation, the operational definitions of "long tenure" and "regular basis" need to be determined. As guidelines, the Panel suggests that these benefits be available to unemployed workers who had been employed for at least 10 years and had not collected benefits in the last five years.

Recommendation 9:

That the federal government, under the existing EI program, initiate through EI Part II (innovation and research capacity) a demonstration project to test the viability and cost effectiveness of a wage insurance plan that would help to mitigate the income losses faced by displaced older workers and thereby encourage these workers to more rapidly return to employment.

Recommendation 10:

That the Employment Insurance Act be modified such that workers who become unemployed after a period of long tenure in the workplace, and who have not been EI recipients on a regular basis:

1. be eligible to receive benefits for longer than they are eligible to receive them under the current program; and 2. that the extended duration of benefits and mobility assistance (see Recommendation 11) for these long-tenured employees not depend on the unemployment rate in the region, as is the case for special benefits such as maternity, parental, compassionate and sickness benefits.

For the purpose of the recommendation, the operational definitions of "long tenure" and "regular basis" need to be determined. As guidelines, the Panel again suggests that these extended benefits be available to unemployed workers who had been employed for at least 10 years and had not collected benefits in the last five years.

Recommendation 11:

That the Employment Insurance Act be modified such that the suite of measures under EI Part II be expanded to include a specific mobility assistance measure with a commensurate adjustment to the budget allocated to EI Part II.

Recommendation 12:

The Panel strongly recommends that the federal government engage in a fundamental review of the Employment Insurance Act.

Recommendation 13:

That the termination date of the current TIOW program be extended until the government has modified the EI program to provide improved benefits to long-tenured displaced older workers (see Recommendation 10); that mobility assistance measures and commensurate funding be added to any new TIOW agreements being extended or negotiated; and that the TIOW program be modified to provide for financial mobility assistance as an eligible program activity.

Source:

Human Resources and Social Development Canada. (2007) Expert Panel on Supporting and Engaging Older Workers in the New Economy

PDF: http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/publications_resources/lmp/eow/2008/older_workers_2008.pdf