Highlights from this week
- Final Reminder: Complete Your Workplace Violence and Harassment Training Today!
- Communications Policy Reminders
- Preventing Slips, Trips, and Falls
- Civility at Work – Workplace Harassment
- Upcoming Mask Fit and CPR Sessions
- Heart Health Month
- Take the First Step – A Mental Health Learning Series
- Dealing with Burnout
- Webinar: Exploring Psychological Health and Safety
- Webinar: Key Investing Principles for 2025
- Welcome New Staff!
- High Fives
- Ask Us Anything
Final Reminder: Complete Your Mandatory Workplace Violence and Harassment Training Today!
Circle of Care is committed to preventing workplace violence and harassment and ensuring a safe environment for all employees.
All employees are required to complete the mandatory Workplace Violence and Harassment e-learning module in Dayforce by February 5, 2025.
All employees that complete the training will receive 30 minutes of paid training time, which will be paid out in March.
Reminders and Announcements
Communications Policy Reminders
News Media & Government
Only the head of the Communications Department or the CEO may communicate on behalf of Circle of Care to government and members of the media. This includes interviews, publications, news releases, and communications with elected officials or their representatives.
Other employees may represent Circle of Care on a specific topic(s) on a one-time basis if explicitly approved by the CEO and/or Communications Department.
Review our policy on Communicating with Media and Government at the link below.
Online & Social Media
All online and social media communications by employees, students, or volunteers must be respectful of Circle of Care, including its policies, its reputation, and brand identity, in all postings. This includes social media profiles, posts, and comments, blogs, and other online activity, whether on Circle of Care official channels or your personal account.
Review our Social Media Community Rules at the link below.
Health and Safety
Preventing Slips, Trips, and Falls
When you are on your feet all day, slips, trips and falls can happen in an instant. Just one simple slip, trip, or fall can lead to serious injuries!
Safety Tips
- Be aware: Stay focused while walking and watch out for hazards like spills or uneven surfaces.
- Don’t rush: Trips often happen when you’re in a hurry. Take your time.
- Clean up spills: Clean up spills right away or report them to the appropriate staff.
- Wear proper footwear: Shoes with good traction are essential for preventing slips and falls.
Safe Footwear Policy
Proper footwear is an investment in your safety! Be sure to choose the right shoes for the job.
- Closed-toe shoes protect your feet from spills and falling objects
- Non-slip soles provide traction and stability even on slick or uneven surfaces
- Good fit ensures comfort and stability throughout your day
- Proper maintenance keeps your shoes in good condition for longer
The right shoes are crucial for your safety at work. Make sure you understand the specific footwear requirements for your work area.
Civility at Work – Workplace Harassment
Workplace relationships affect how you feel about your work. Care and kindness can brighten your day and make your work easier, but lack of civility and respect can lead to emotional exhaustion, burnout, and even physical health problems.
Treating each other with respect and civility includes:
- using sensitive, respectful language
- being an ally and support your colleagues
- holding team members accountable
- sharing concerns and potential solutions with your Supervisor/Managers
Reporting Incidents of Workplace Violence, Hate and Discrimination
Disrespectful behaviour and bullying can lead to discrimination, harassment, and even violence.
Circle of Care has policies and procedures in place intended to reduce the risk and the number of incidents of Violence, Harassment, and Discrimination and/or Hate in the workplace.
If you are experiencing any incidents of Violence, Harassment, Discrimination and/or Hate while at work or during working hours, we strongly encourage you to report it to your Supervisor, Manager, Director, or Human Resources. We have established procedures to follow up on these reports.
For more information, please review the policies linked below:
- Anti-Bullying Policy
- Workplace Violence Policy
- Workplace Harassment Policy
- Workplace Discrimination and Hate Policy
Did you know? You can also report incidents of Violence, Harassment, Discrimination and/or Hate anonymously using a confidential form. All reports will be handled with respect and discretion.
Upcoming Mask Fit and CPR Sessions
Have you had your mask fit tested and CPR training? Circle of Care requires all PSWs and Homemakers to be certified with valid and current CPR training and properly fitted for N95 masks.
Important reminders:
- Arrive 15 minutes before the CPR training or mask fit session begins.
- Try to book a date/time where you do not have client visits scheduled. If you need to make any scheduling arrangements after you have booked your session, speak to your Service Coordinator.
- Your schedule will be blocked as ‘unavailable’ for you to attend the session. You do not need to use your phone to sign into the training.
- You will be paid a total of 4 hours for the training (CPR) and 1 hour for mask fit. These hours will be added to your schedule and paid out 1-2 weeks after the session has been completed. They will appear on your paystub as ‘Miscellaneous’.
- Manage your bookings or cancellations through the online portal.
- You will receive a confirmation email/text notification when you book your session and a session reminder.
Book your CPR training and mask fit sessions through First Aid Care today!
You can also book by calling 905-272-9214
Wellness at Work
February is Heart Health Month
Did you know? Heart disease is the second leading cause of death for both men and women in Canada.
Heart disease affects almost all of us at some point in our lives. The good news its that being physically active, eating a variety of healthy foods, limiting highly processed foods, getting proper sleep, and managing stress can all help reduce your risk of developing heart disease.
This month, we take the opportunity to raise awareness and to focus on what we can do to improve our heart health and prevent cardiovascular disease.
Work Out Your Heart
Regular physical activity is one of the best ways to strengthen your heart, boost energy, and improve overall well-being. Exercise helps lower blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels while reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.
The Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines recommend
- Moderate to vigorous physical activity at least 150 minutes per week
- Muscle-strengthening activities at least twice a week
Before you begin any type of exercise, remember:
- Talk to your doctor before exercising or trying new physical activities, especially if you have an existing heart condition.
- Start small (e.g., shorter sessions of 10 to 15 minutes), then gradually work towards longer periods of activity (e.g., 30 to 45 minutes 3 or 4 times a week).
- Choose activities that you enjoy so that you’ll stick to your program. These might include walking, gardening, stair-climbing, or bike-riding.
- Take frequent breaks during exercise if you need it. You should feel comfortable while doing your physical activities; you should not feel breathless or extremely tired.
- Pain is a sign that something is wrong. Some discomfort is normal, but if you experience chest pain, difficulty breathing, or extreme fatigue, stop exercising immediately and contact your doctor.
Check out these resources from Heart & Stroke Canada!
Take the First Step: A Mental Health Learning Series
This series, created by Michael Landsberg and GreenShield Health, is designed to provide a non-clinical approach to raising awareness and building mental health resiliency.
How often do we keep our struggles hidden, thinking they don’t deserve to be shared? In this first chapter, Michael Landsberg takes us on a journey through his own ‘Museum of the Mind,’ where he stored his triumphs and hardships, until he realized that silence was holding him back.
Dealing with Burnout
Burnout is a significant challenge in the healthcare field. As a healthcare worker, you’re always focused on caring for others, but it’s vital to care for yourself too.
This video from Psych2Go offers practical advice on how to prevent burnout and strategies to protect your well-being while continuing to make a difference.
Learning in Action
Exploring Psychological Health and Safety
Join Your Health Space (YHS) for a workshop on Exploring Psychological Health and Safety.
In this two-hour workshop, YHS facilitators will introduce the 15 psychosocial factors that impact workplace well-being and provide strategies to address key factors relevant to healthcare settings and teams.
- Date & Time: Wednesday, February 12, 2025, 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM
- Zoom Link: https://cmhaontario.zoom.us/j/88332502079?pwd=OeZUxcBrIjNmdNqpH1jYtRm4DdtTv3.1&from=addon
- Meeting ID: 883 3250 2079
- Passcode: 298132
Webinar: Key Investing Principles and Insights for 2025
Join RBC Wealth Management & Global Asset Management for a market update and learn about key investment principles to maximize your investment strategies.
Guest Speakers:
- George Tsvetanov, CFP, RBC Financial Planner
- Fandi Kamran, Regional Manager, RBC Global Asset Management
Next session: February 12th, 2024 – 12:00 PM EST
Community Corner
Welcome New Staff!
Circle of Care is pleased to welcome our newest PSWs to the team!
- Graciel Dizon
- Maame Asante
- Maureen Alburo
- Tatyana Veerasammy
- April Mackinnon
- Shima Taheri Ledari
- Ruth Kamau
- Sheryll Abon
- Jasmine Kaur
- Ronnalyn Lastimosa
- Kleinna LLamoso
- Ese Asagba
High Five!
A High Five for Karl Jacinto, Charmaine Gadea, William Chetta, Moneica Bennett, Vienpheth Hok, and Naomi Slutsky
I would like to thank you all for your assistance with our large mail out project for the PSW/Homemaker Holiday gift cards. Thanks for all your work to ensure our PSWs/Homemakers received this!
Kai Van Vugt
Has someone gone above and beyond at work? Give them a High Five!
The High Five program lets you publicly recognize staff members for their outstanding work. High Fives will be posted in your weekly Inside the Circle newsletter.
To give a high five, just click on the button below or use the link in the rotating banner on the Portal home page.
Please note: We do not accept anonymous submissions for this program. High Fives must be submitted by an individual person, whether they are a staff member or member of the community.
Ask Us Anything
Hello. I am wondering where’s our holiday gift cards? No more?
We have indeed continued our tradition of holiday gift cards, however, this past year was more challenging with regards to distributing the cards. Due to the Canada Post strike, we were unable to mail out the holiday gift cards prior to the end of the year. Once Canada Post services were back up and running, we were able to mail out the cards to all our PSWs; however, it may take time for them to arrive at your home.
Is Circle of Care planning to give us a raise or increase in our wages? Everything nowadays is so expensive.
We know that compensation and wages are important to our PSWs and Homemakers. Wages are currently being reviewed as part on the ongoing Collective Bargaining between Circle of Care and SEIU. We will reach out to you once more information is available regarding the new Collective Agreement and wages.
Why do coordinators place a client in the middle of a shift without calling to find out if it’s OK or convenient?
PSW are required to be available for taking more clients during their availability. You are expected to check your schedule after logging out from every visit.
If the worker arrived at the client’s place and the client was not responding to a call or not opening the door it should be consider a Not Seen Not Found. When I called the office I reported that nobody answer the phone and that I had knocked the door many times. The staff member who answer my call asked me to stay for half an hour. When I called back he did not answer my call, and he marked down that the visit was canceled. But a cancelation of the service should be 3 hours ahead. This is unfair for the worker because we waste our time and to travel it takes time.
Thank you for bringing this concern to our attention. As per the information you provided above, the visit should be entered as not seen not found and you should be paid. In this case, you should inform your Service Coordinator or CSS so that the situation can be investigated and updated correctly.
My availability is 12 hours in a day and I am schedule from 8am in morning to 8pm in evening as my last client , but I get pay of 9 only. So my concern is I waste my 3 hours between each clients, apart from my traveling time. This thing is really frustrating to me.
We understand your concern about the hours. We try our best to schedule as many clients as we can, but we would like to add that it is in the best interest of your schedule for us to provide enough travel time in between clients. If you have concerns regarding your hours and you want more clients, please feel free to reach out to your Service Coordinator.
Some PSWs brag about having 60 hours per week while others struggle to even get to 40. This is workplace inequality.
Each person’s hours will vary based on a variety of reasons, including their availability, caseload work areas, restrictions, etc, so direct comparisons may not be possible between employees.
I would like to know why when a worker goes on vacation they cannot get back their clients when they return from the vacation. Please explain.
Normally, if a PSW goes on vacation for less than 6 weeks, you would receive your regular clients back. However, this can change based on client request. If you have concerns, please reach out to your Service Coordinator and/or your CSS.
Have a question? Submit your questions or feedback anonymously below!
Please note that it may take us longer to provide some answers. If your question hasn’t been answered yet, we will get back to you as soon as we can.