legal words
The Aging Workforce
BEST PRACTICES FOR AVOIDING AGE DISCRIMINATION THROUGHOUT THE EMPLOYMENT CYCLE
With the inevitable aging of Canada’s Baby Boomers, a
large segment of our population hovers around the
cusp of retirement. As a result, there are a number
of pertinent factors that HR professionals and em-ployers
ought to be aware of, including age-related discrimination
concerns; employees’ rights; employer obligations; and how to re-spond
to the greying workforce in a way that limits exposure to
potential claims of discrimination. With this in mind, how might
age discrimination creep up throughout the employment life
cycle? What should employers know? And, what are the best prac-tices
an employer should adopt?
RECRUITMENT
During the recruitment process, ensuring that stereotypes and bi-ases
relating to age do not play a role in the candidate’s chances
of success is vital. Recruiters should avoid asking questions about
age, and avoid requesting dates of completion of education and
other credentials – from which age may be inferred. However,
there are certain circumstances where questions about age may be
asked; these include 1) where a special program is in place; 2) em-ployment
is aimed at individuals 65 and older; 3) the employer is a
special interest organization servicing a particular age group; or 4)
age is a bona fide occupational requirement (BFOR).
Rocketclips Inc. / Shutterstock.com
By Adrian Ishak
HRPROFESSIONALNOW.CA ❚ SEPTEMBER 2017 ❚ 17