This dissertation examines four disadvantaged groups in the labour market from a variety of perspectives. Specifically, I looked into older workers, younger workers, nonstandard workers and female workers. In the first chapter, I examine the effects of Ontario eliminating mandatory retirement in 2006 on the labour force participation of older workers and the unemployment of younger workers. My second chapter examines the relationship between nonstandard employment and the subsequent workplace profitability. In my final chapter, I examine the interaction effect of employment status and gender on the issue of work hour mismatches. The first chapter examines the impact of recent labour policy change at a national/provincial level. I find positive and significant effects for the labour force participation rate of older workers in Ontario in the five years following the legislation change of banning mandatory retirement in Onatrio. Similar results are found for both men and women; however, the magnitude of this effect is somewhat smaller for men. In addition, the empirical analysis also reveals a short-run rise in the unemployment rate of younger workers. The second chapter examines the financial implication of nonstandard employment at an organizational level. The results suggest that nonstandard employment is positively associated with subsequent workplace profitability, after controlling for factors that might also affect profitability. Moreover, this significant positive relationship between nonstandard employment and subsequent profitability is primarily driven by capital intensive manufacturing, the real estate/rental/leasing, the retail/trade/consumer service, and the education and health services industries as well as smaller workplaces. Larger workplaces and the rest of the private sector do not display significant results. The final chapter looks into how employment status and gender systematically impact work hour preferences at an individual level. The findings indicate that there is a significant interaction effect between nonstandard employment and gender. Female nonstandard workers prefer to work more hours. Male workers, both nonstandard and standard, are more likely to prefer to work fewer or the same hours. These results conform to labour market trend of increasing labour force participation rates of females and a declining trend among males.

This dissertation examines four disadvantaged groups in the labour market from a variety of perspectives. Specifically, I looked into older workers, younger workers, nonstandard workers and female workers. In the first chapter, I examine the effects of Ontario eliminating mandatory retirement in 2006 on the labour force participation of older workers and the unemployment of younger workers. My second chapter examines the relationship between nonstandard employment and the subsequent workplace profitability. In my final chapter, I examine the interaction effect of employment status and gender on the issue of work hour mismatches. The first chapter examines the impact of recent labour policy change at a national/provincial level. I find positive and significant effects for the labour force participation rate of older workers in Ontario in the five years following the legislation change of banning mandatory retirement in Onatrio. Similar results are found for both men and women; however, the magnitude of this effect is somewhat smaller for men. In addition, the empirical analysis also reveals a short-run rise in the unemployment rate of younger workers. The second chapter examines the financial implication of nonstandard employment at an organizational level. The results suggest that nonstandard employment is positively associated with subsequent workplace profitability, after controlling for factors that might also affect profitability. Moreover, this significant positive relationship between nonstandard employment and subsequent profitability is primarily driven by capital intensive manufacturing, the real estate/rental/leasing, the retail/trade/consumer service, and the education and health services industries as well as smaller workplaces. Larger workplaces and the rest of the private sector do not display significant results. The final chapter looks into how employment status and gender systematically impact work hour preferences at an individual level. The findings indicate that there is a significant interaction effect between nonstandard employment and gender. Female nonstandard workers prefer to work more hours. Male workers, both nonstandard and standard, are more likely to prefer to work fewer or the same hours. These results conform to labour market trend of increasing labour force participation rates of females and a declining trend among males.

Against the background of the global demographic shift towards an aging workforce and its impacts on the labour market and the economy in industrialized societies, this dissertation pinpoints six salient challenges for future litigation and policy-making in the area of labour and employment discrimination law. These include the global tendency towards abolishing mandatory retirement and increasing the eligibility age for pension benefits; legislative age-based distinctions; cost as a justification for age discrimination; performance appraisals of senior workers; and the duty to accommodate senior workers. At the core of each challenge lies a normative question regarding our conception of senior workers’ right to age equality, its importance and relative weight compared with other rights and interests. The aim of this dissertation is therefore to critically review the current understanding of this right and its moral and economic underpinning. Most notably, the dissertation contends that the prevailing conception of equality assessment (the Complete Lives Approach to equality), according to which equality should be assessed based on a comparison of the total share of resources obtained by individuals over a lifetime, has substantial implications for age discrimination discourse. As it uncovers the numerous difficulties with the complete lives approach, the dissertation develops an alternative: the Dignified Lives Approach to equality, according to which an individual should be treated with equal concern and respect, at any particular time and regardless of any comparison. The dissertation then articulates five essential principles founded in Dworkin’s notion of equal concern and respect: the principle of individual assessment, the principle of equal influence, the principle of sufficiency, the principle of social inclusion, and the principle of autonomy. When one of these principles is not respected at any particular time, a wrong is done, and the right to equality is violated. Next, the dissertation elucidates when and why unequal treatment of senior workers based on age does not respect each of these five principles and therefore constitutes unjust age discrimination. It demonstrates that senior workers’ right to age equality is a fundamental human right. Finally, it examines the above-mentioned challenges through the lens of the new Dignified Lives approach.

Against the background of the global demographic shift towards an aging workforce and its impacts on the labour market and the economy in industrialized societies, this dissertation pinpoints six salient challenges for future litigation and policy-making in the area of labour and employment discrimination law. These include the global tendency towards abolishing mandatory retirement and increasing the eligibility age for pension benefits; legislative age-based distinctions; cost as a justification for age discrimination; performance appraisals of senior workers; and the duty to accommodate senior workers. At the core of each challenge lies a normative question regarding our conception of senior workers’ right to age equality, its importance and relative weight compared with other rights and interests. The aim of this dissertation is therefore to critically review the current understanding of this right and its moral and economic underpinning. Most notably, the dissertation contends that the prevailing conception of equality assessment (the Complete Lives Approach to equality), according to which equality should be assessed based on a comparison of the total share of resources obtained by individuals over a lifetime, has substantial implications for age discrimination discourse. As it uncovers the numerous difficulties with the complete lives approach, the dissertation develops an alternative: the Dignified Lives Approach to equality, according to which an individual should be treated with equal concern and respect, at any particular time and regardless of any comparison. The dissertation then articulates five essential principles founded in Dworkin’s notion of equal concern and respect: the principle of individual assessment, the principle of equal influence, the principle of sufficiency, the principle of social inclusion, and the principle of autonomy. When one of these principles is not respected at any particular time, a wrong is done, and the right to equality is violated. Next, the dissertation elucidates when and why unequal treatment of senior workers based on age does not respect each of these five principles and therefore constitutes unjust age discrimination. It demonstrates that senior workers’ right to age equality is a fundamental human right. Finally, it examines the above-mentioned challenges through the lens of the new Dignified Lives approach.