Bringing Volunteer Orientation into the Digital Realm
Recently, the Learning and Development and Volunteer Resources departments collaborated on a new onboarding video that allows our volunteers to take part in orientation without the necessity of physically coming into the office.
“We wanted to create a product that takes into consideration the ways in which others learn and their ability to easily access important information,” says Dennis Martin, Learning Specialist.
Created by L&D Coordinator Alicia Jiang, the volunteer orientation video is bright, colourful, and succinct. It highlights the many important things that a volunteer should know before they represent us by working with clients, including our organization’s history, our partners, our programs and services, and our policies and procedures.
Our Learning and Development department continues to work hard to further digitize additional learning tools to provide continued support to our employees and volunteers during these unprecedented times.
New PSW Mobile App Assisting PSWs and Client Services in the Midst of the Pandemic
A pandemic certainly wasn’t anticipated, but rolling out the new PSW mobile app couldn’t have happened at a better time to take advantage of its new features.
Scheduled roll-outs of the app started December 4 with a pilot phase of 35 PSWs, and continued with larger groups of 180-200 from January into April. The old app was officially decommissioned in May.
The new app has been very helpful to PSWs recently regarding client care in the midst of the pandemic. As PSWs check-in to their visits, client alerts and notes pop-up for that particular client. This makes it much more evident what conditions each client has, which has been especially important in COVID times.
The new app has also increased the visibility and transparency between Payroll/Client Services and our PSWs. Many PSWs used to call in for information that they can now access themselves through their phone, like the number of hours they work each day. They can also cancel their vacation through their phone, ensuring that their coordinator can schedule them for visits on that day.
In addition, the new app allows the PSWs to virtually communicate important information like abnormal ALC checklist items and COVID screening results that occur at the beginning of each visit.
Lastly, the new app has implemented WalkMe, an interactive tool that integrates with the new app and with the PSW Portal. WalkMe can guide PSWs through frequently asked questions about how to complete a process within the app, and it also highlights important information for PSWs – such as what our COVID PPE guidelines are, or education about COVID-19 and infection prevention.
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Human Resources Team Providing Support to PSWs and Client Services
Over the past few months, COVID-19 has changed everyone’s priorities and has become central in much of the work we do. Health and safety have become top of mind for everyone, especially our PSWs, some of whom are caring for COVID-positive clients.
Our Human Resources team has jumped in to assist Service Coordinators and CSSs with additional support around challenging phone calls and logistical issues like child care.
“We’ve had many conversations over the last few months with PSWs and Homemakers to address their concerns and anxieties amid COVID-19,” says Kai Svirida, Health, Safety and Wellness Coordinator. “Vivian and I are working collaboratively with different teams within the organization to make sure our PSWs feel supported during this challenging time.”
The HR team continues to work on accommodation plans regarding medical restrictions, completing follow-ups with workers who have been self-isolating or are being tested for COVID-19, and communicating return-to-work plans.
Shoutout to our Mighty Payroll Team!
Our small yet mighty Payroll team, consisting of Joan Gordon, Laura Zhang and Cynthia Daniel have been working extremely hard over the last few months as they ensure that all of our employees are being paid correctly, on time, and in line with government legislation.
“It’s been an incredibly busy last few months,” says Cynthia, Payroll Manager. “We’ve been receiving many requests for pay adjustments due to COVID-related work hours, and then of course there’s lots of PSWs calling about their paystubs and T4s since it’s tax season – they all have questions about deductions or why they’ve been paid for a certain number of hours. On any given day we can get around 85-95 phone calls with questions or requests for us. And lots of emails too!”
The work that the Payroll team does is extremely technical and precise – after all, they are responsible for everyone’s pay, and every dollar matters. From researching and applying tax and labour laws to reviewing the accuracy of every line of information for a new hire or someone leaving the organization, their eyes are looking over every detail to ensure that information is inputted correctly and legally.
Thank you Joan, Laura and Cynthia!
HelpDesk Team Providing Support and Problem Solving
Even a global pandemic hasn’t stopped our HelpDesk team from continuing to provide technical support to our employees!
From password resets and PSW app questions to more complex requests requiring trial-and-error and problem solving, the HelpDesk team has been ensuring the success of our teams as we work from home.
A big thank you to Rahul Vasisht and Aditya Matlani who provide in-person from our office, as well as Navpreet Sidhu and Neha Panchal who are providing support virtually from home.