Inside the Circle – May 16, 2023

This Friday is PSW Day, a day to celebrate and highlight the vital contributions you provide to our clients. Whether you are supporting older adults physically by assisting them with their daily activities, or supporting them emotionally, each action helps our clients live independently at home.

If you would like to share your story, please email Mary at man@circleofcare.com. Send us a photo of yourself wearing your Circle of Care uniform, and a written response (or video!) to the following question: “Over the last year, what has been your favourite moment of helping a client?”

We will share the submissions we receive on our social media channels on Friday.

Circle of Care requires that all PSWs and Homemakers be certified with valid and current CPR training, and that employees be properly fitted for N95 masks. Upcoming sessions for both CPR and mask fit have been booked for June and July. Appointments must be booked through our vendor, First Aid Care, and can be booked by calling 905-272-9214 or by clicking the button down below.

Important reminders – please read:

• Please arrive at the training session 15 minutes before the class begins.
• After you have booked your appointment, please speak to your Service Coordinator if you need any scheduling arrangements and have clients that you will need to be booked off from to attend the CPR and/or mask fit training. Please try to book a date/time where you do not have client visits scheduled.
• 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 – this will be added to your schedule 1-2 weeks after the session has been completed and you will receive payment. The code will appear on your paystub as ‘Miscellaneous’
• All bookings/cancellations must be managed through the online portal. You will receive a confirmation email/text notification and will also receive a session reminder.

We also encourage you to review our CPR Tips and Guidance below.

As a reminder to all employees, it is important to practice regular hand hygiene, and continue to screen yourselves daily to reduce the risk of COVID-19. Employees who are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 should remain home from work and take a COVID-19 test.

To reduce the risk of becoming sick or re-infected with COVID-19, we encourage employees to do the following:

• Practice regular hand hygiene
• Screen yourself daily and screen your clients at each visit
• Follow current PPE protocols such as universal masking and donning additional PPE based on screening, or when advised to do so because of potential exposure. Please note wearing surgical face masks for the duration of your client visit is mandatory.
• Practice masking outside of work, or when in highly populated areas
• Get your COVID-19 booster as they come available to you

We’re inviting everyone to take 5-10 minutes to complete our annual DEI survey. Survey responses will help us prepare Circle of Care’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) strategy and determine areas of focus for the DEI committee over the next year.

Survey responses are anonymous. The deadline to complete the survey is May 26th. Thank you in advance for contributing to our DEI strategy and focus for the coming year.

All employees are encouraged to make sure their personal contact information (phone number, email address, mailing address etc.) is up-to-date in Dayforce.

You can check your paystub by logging into Dayforce to confirm if your address is correct.

If there are any questions, or to have your information updated, please contact HR at HRDept@circleofcare.com

Join us for a virtual stretching break hosted by North York Toronto Health Partners (NYTHP). Stretching is often recommended to reduce pain and increase blood flow to your joints and muscles. Stretching can be done anytime and anywhere. It is also beneficial in decreasing the risk of injury.

Date: Thursday, May 18th
Time: 12:00pm – 12:30pm

How often do we get an increase in pay?

When it comes to pay, there are two different factors to consider: your length of time in the role, and the time of year it is. PSWs and Homemakers each have a starting wage – this is the hourly wage that you make when you begin to work at Circle of Care. When you reach 1 year with Circle of Care, your hourly wage will increase, and for PSWs only your hourly wage will also increase after two years.

In addition, every year, all PSWs and Homemakers experience an increase in wages, as negotiated by the union and listed in the Collective Agreement. The latest increase happened on July 1 2022, and resulted in a 1% increase for all PSWs and Homemakers. You can find more information in the Collective Agreement: https://psw.circleofcare.com/index.php/workingatcircleofcare/collectiveagreement/

How can I upgrade from Homemaker to PSW?

To upgrade from Homemaker to PSW, you will need to complete an approved Personal Support Worker program. These programs are available at many colleges in Toronto and the surrounding area, and most programs run for about 8-12 months. Some schools will offer part-time options as well, although these may take longer to complete. If you are not sure whether the program you are considering will be accepted by Circle of Care, we invite you to reach out to our HR team to find out before you start the program. Once you complete your PSW diploma inform your Client Services Supervisor and HR team.

Since I am entitled to have 5 weeks vacation after having worked at Circle of Care for 20 years, am I able to take all of my vacation at one time?

Vacation days can be approved or denied based on your seniority and the needs of the organization, so each request is different. All vacation requests are done through your PSW Mobile App and must be approved by your supervisor & coordinator.  If you are planning to take vacation, please make sure you submit your request before the cut off dates. Please speak with your Coordinator/Supervisor beforehand.

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We invite you to submit your questions or feedback below. Please note that it may take us longer to provide some answers, so if you’ve asked a question that hasn’t been answered yet, we will get back to you in the coming weeks.