Mandatory retirement ages are an outdated tool that strips experienced professionals of their autonomy. My uncle, a meticulous civil engineer, was forced to step down at 60 even though his firm begged him to stay on as a consultant. We lose institutional memory and mentorship when we treat age as a proxy for capability, yet some argue that forced retirement opens up opportunities for younger workers. But isn't it fairer to evaluate each person's performance individually than to impose a blanket cutoff?