I have been laid off from my current job since middle March 2009. I have been employeed at this place of business for over 20 years but it seems I am going to be laid off without a call back. This while many other employees are kept on doing nothing much of the time because there isn't much work. I think it's personal and am being forced into retirement because of my age, which is 63. I think I am being forced out because I have had certain issues with my health, stents in my heart, but all is well and I am able to perform my duties without problem. Certain things lead me to believe this may be the case because of underhanded things that were tried the last time I was in the hospital over three years ago. There are many new employees with similar training with much less time at the company but I am the only person laid off, this, when they told me in March I was just to be the first of many. I realize without a union there probably is not much I can do. I think the pernicious behavior by the boss is not in keeping with the many good years I have given the company. I will meet again with them very soon and I don't want to walk in their office without some sort of ammunition.

Hope you can help

I did Human Resources management and according to my program, they cannot terminate you based on the grounds of age (Human Rights) and your health, BUT they can use tools (such as performance reviews) to justify their reasons to lay you off without being penalized. I was in a similar situation in which I was in the hospital and wrongfully dismissed and when I wanted to fight my situation the fees and time involved would make me bankrupt.
Honestly, if you have proof, Human Resources need to have a paper trail so if you can argue to them saying that your age and health has not affected your performance then you should be strong.
Good Luck!!

Thanks much for your response, I appreciate it. Fighting it when I am on unemployment and close to being financially embarressed just isn't in the cards. And of course they know that, they also know it is all too easy to lie about their reasons because as you stated they cannot legally get rid of me for the reasons I mentioned, but we all know it's very easy to just bring up something else. The company I work for is like no other company you will ever come across. There has never been a performance review in the over 20 years I worked there. So should they bring that up it would have to be totally fabricated. And that would not surprise me. Three years ago they tried to obtain confidential information from my doctors concerning just exactly what I was having done. That had no legal right to this information but that never stopped them from trying. My doctors informed me of this and never sent them any information. And I never brought it up at that time. Thanks again, I'll keep chugging along...