Working past 65 in Alberta? Your health benefits could soon cost your employer more
Alberta is introducing legislative changes that will require employers to continue providing health benefits to employees over the age of 65. Business owners have expressed concern that these increased costs could impact hiring decisions and company growth.
Why it matters
This policy shift highlights the tension between expanding social safety nets and the financial burden placed on small businesses in a changing labor market.
But upcoming changes to Alberta's Health Statutes Amendment Act have created concerns for the owner of a startup in Calgary that partners with small businesses to help them grow.
"Right now, or at least before this, health care wasn't really a consideration when we were hiring because it was provided for by the government," Hurd-Watler said in an interview.
"With the advent of this bill … we would have to seriously consider that, and that would be a new variable in our hiring decisions."
Doctors, experts and business owners like Hurd-Watler are concerned about potential implications they see in a subtle shift in the bill this fall that changes how benefits are funded for workers older than 65.
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