4. Get legal help
Question & Answer
My employer keeps asking me when I’m going to retire. Can they do that?If you don’t have a and your employer continues harassing you about retiring, think about getting legal help.
If you feel as though you’ve been unfairly targeted by your employer because of your age, or if you’ve been pressured into retiring before you’re ready, a lawyer can help you:
- understand your rights as an employee or union member
- discuss your options
- write a demand letter to the employer, asking them to stop harassing you
- decide if you should make a complaint to the of Ontario
Human Rights Tribunal
You can contact the Human Rights Legal Support Centre (HRLSC) to get free legal advice and support. The HRLSC will let you know if you have a strong case for the Human Rights Tribunal . The amount of support they give you depends on the strength of your case, the type of issue you’re facing, and your personal situation.
The HRLSC can sometimes speak to your employer on your behalf to help resolve the issue without submitting an to the . Visit the HRLSC website to see how they can help, or call 1-866-625-5179.
Legal clinics
Community legal clinics (CLCs) provide free legal services to people with low incomes. A CLC may be able to help you with certain human rights issues related to housing or employment. You can search for a CLC in your area using your postal code.
There are also Specialty clinics that provide free legal services on certain human rights issues to specific people with low incomes. Some of the specialty clinics are:
- ACE, for seniors
- ACTO, for tenants
- ALS, for Indigenous people
- ARCH, for people with disabilities
- BLAC, for Black people
- CSALC, for Chinese, Vietnamese, Laotian and Cambodian people
- CSSP, for Spanish-speaking people
- HALCO, for people living with HIV
- IWC, for people injured at work
- JFCY, for young people
- SALCO, for South Asian people
- WHSLC, for non-unionized workers
For additional help contacting a CLC or a specialty clinic, you can call Legal Aid Ontario at 1-800-668-8258 or 416-979-1446. TTY users can call 1-866-641-8867 or 416-598-8867.
Pro Bono Ontario
Pro Bono Ontario offers free legal advice for employees who are not in a unionized workplace. Call 1-855-255-7256.
Lawyer Referral Service
Many lawyers work on cases. For help finding a lawyer, you can use the Law Society’s online Lawyer Referral Service or call 1-855-947-5255
Ontario Legal Information Centre
The Ontario Legal Information Centre offers a free 30-minute meeting with a lawyer to anyone in Ontario. You can talk to a lawyer by telephone or in person at their Ottawa office, on any area of law, and in English or French. You may have to leave a message, and a lawyer will call you back.
JusticeNet
JusticeNet is a not-for-profit organization that helps people with low incomes get a lawyer or paralegal. If your net family income is less than $59,000, they refer you to a directory of lawyers, paralegals, and mediators who provide help at reduced rates depending on income.
You must register and pay a $25 fee to use the website. This fee may be returned to you if you don’t find a professional to work with.
