Inside the Circle – September 19, 2023

Enter our raffle to win a TV! These TVs are in good working condition, but they are NOT brand new.

The raffle will take place this Wednesday, September 20 at noon, and the winners will be notified afterwards. We will also publish the results the Inside the Circle newsletter. Please keep in mind that if you are chosen as a winner, you will need to pick up the TV from our head office.

TV 1: Sharp LC-52E77UN 52″ AQUOS LCD TV

TV 2: Samsung NU8000 65″ Premium Smart 4K UHD TV

To enter the raffle, please sign up using the link below. The deadline to sign up is Tuesday September 19 at 11:59PM.

You have a very important role to play in keeping clients safe at home. Use the ALC Checklist to identify noticeable changes in your client.

It’s important for you to learn about slip, trip, and fall hazards because these hazards are considered ‘high-risk’ hazards for your role, due to various factors such as slippery surfaces (client bathrooms, kitchen floors); extreme snow, ice, & rain; and increased time spent walking in the community.

Please complete this mandatory e-learning module by November 1, 2023. When you complete the mandatory e-learning you will receive 30 minutes of paid training time (which will be paid out in November).

How to access e-learning: https://psw.circleofcare.com/index.php/2022/10/18/dayforce-learning/?highlight=dayfor

Review our Slips, Trips and Falls Prevention Program: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_MLwRIf4P-sWgOgU5OGZxcjPhOwshcX3/view

A slip occurs when there is too little friction or traction between your foot and the walking or working surface, which results in a loss of balance. Common causes of slips are:

• Wet/oily floor (client bathrooms)
• Household spills
• Weather hazards (snow, ice)
• Loose rugs or mats

To prevent slips, you should:

• Stay alert and aware of your surroundings
• Do not rush, and stay focused on the task at hand
• Follow Circle of Care’s footwear policy

Exciting news! We’ve just launched “Beyond Silence,” a mental health support app designed specifically for you, our dedicated PSWs and Homemakers. Think of it as your personal mental health coach, right in your pocket! It’s packed with helpful information and tools to assist you in managing your mental well-being at work, and it’s here to support both you and your co-workers. From setting and tracking goals to accessing valuable resources, this app is your go-to for nurturing your mental wellness on the go.

Download the App
We encourage you to download the Beyond Silence App onto your personal mobile phone. It’s available for both iOS and Android devices, and the best part is, it’s completely free on the app store! Our IT team is currently in the process of installing the Beyond Silence app on your mobile work device, and this is expected to happen over the next several weeks, ensuring you have easy access to this valuable support whenever you need it.

ACCESS CODE: CCYP527J8

Options for ways to download the app:

• Open your App Store and search ‘Beyond Silence’
• Get the app on Google Play
• Get the app on the iOS App Store

Learn More About the App: ZOOM Education Sessions
We will be also hosting 15 minute Zoom education sessions to provide you with with more information about the app. If you are not able to attend these drop-in sessions, don’t worry – they will be recorded and shared in an upcoming Inside the Circle.

Zoom Education Details:
Session 1: Tuesday, September 19th at 12:00pm
Meeting ID: 458 679 4619
Passcode: 4211

Session 2: Friday, September 22nd at 3:00pm
Meeting ID: 458 679 4619
Passcode: 4211

Gender Equality Week is about coming together for a fair and equal society in Canada. This year’s theme is “United for Gender Equality: Stronger Together.” It’s important because it’s a basic human right to be treated with respect and safety, whether at work or at home. When we treat everyone equally, it prevents harm and makes our society better and safer for everyone.

At Circle of Care, we believe in fairness, inclusivity, and safety. We’re committed to creating a welcoming and safe space for everyone. Let’s work together to make a positive impact!

For information about starting conversations, including email correspondence, addressing individuals by title, please refer to this tip sheet from the 519: https://www.the519.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/CreatingAuthenticSpaces_Conversations.pdf

To learn more about Gender Equality and Gender Justice, visit https://canadianwomen.org/the-facts/

As per Article 3.03 of the Collective Agreement, you are reminded that you will need to work 1300 hours in this current calendar year to qualify for/maintain full time status for the 2024 calendar year. If you are interested in working more hours or expanding your availability, please contact your Service Coordinator.

For more information, please visit our Employment Status and Sick Time FAQ or the Collective Agreement.

We welcome the following PSWs and Homemakers to Circle of Care:

• Ayushi Parmar
• Tanisha Daley-Brammer
• Ashley Laughtman
• April Dela Cruz
• Sheryl Donaldson
• Tessy Igiewe
• Stanley Appiah Danquah
• Monica Dadzie
• Hamideh Golchin
• Zebib Hagos
• Adeline Pineda
• Josiah Beckles-Chambers
• Dolphine Migiro
• Cecilia Opaleye

Thank you for the added dental on our insurance. We are also wondering if massage is also covered? It would be a great relief for PSWs if we could get a massage once in a while. Lifting and bending is always part of our job. Good physical health means good mental health.

Yes, according to your Benefits document, you are eligible for $50 per visit up to a maximum of $350 per calendar year for each of the following: Chiropractor, Osteopath, Naturopath,
Podiatrist/Chiropodist, Massage Therapist, Speech Therapist, Physiotherapist, Psychologist, Acupuncturist. You can find more information here: https://psw.circleofcare.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/5937-CoC-Mbr-Announcement-Pkg-v211230-v2.pdf

If our hours continue to reduce how can we meet the basic hours per year to remain permanent full time? I would hope that you would reduce the standard hours to become full time to 1,000 instead of 1,300 hours per year.

Unfortunately we cannot reduce the full-time eligibility requirements, as this is part of the union’s Collective Agreement – to qualify as a full-time employee, you would need to work 1300 hours in the calendar year. If you notice your hours are reduced, please speak with your coordinator to see if you need to increase your availability or if there are opportunities for you to take on additional client visits in other surrounding caseloads.

Our schedules have become unstable and we don’t know whether they will change next week or not. Also our clients are changing every week, which is problematic for clients who have memories problems and rely on a structured daily living routine. They ask whether we will be back the next day, or beyond, and we can’t get them any correct responses. As a Circle of Care staff member, I want to be able to support the organization, but it’s become very hard.

We do try our hardest to keep your schedules consistent, both for your sake, and for the sake of our clients. However, this is not always possible, and there are times that this can become more inconsistent for certain staff members.

Some of the reasons for why your schedule might be changed include:

• Accommodating client requests
• Rescheduling lower risk clients to accommodate higher risk clients
• Moving PSWs or Homemakers visits to meet certain capacity needs (like if a lot of people called in sick, for example)
• Responding to client cancellations, holds, or service terminations (such as if a client moves to long-term care, or passes away)
• A decrease in hours to a client’s schedule

If there are certain clients that are unsure of their schedule, you can encourage them to either call into the call center or to use the EZ Assist App.

I am a part timer and when I asked about my float day my CSS said I only have 3 hours on a float day. Why is this the case?

Full-Time employees are entitled to up to a maximum of 7 hours paid time off for their float day and part-time employees are entitled to up to a maximum of 3.5 hours paid time off for their float day.

How many hours of paid time off you will receive depends on how many hours you are scheduled on the day you take the float day. So for example if you are scheduled for 5 hours that day, you would get paid the maximum of 3.5 hours for your float. If you are scheduled for 2 hours that day, then you would get paid for the 2 hours for your float.

The question was never answered: why are more staff being hired when your current employees are willing and wanting to jump in and take extra shifts? Why are they going to new hires?

We’re sorry that you feel we didn’t respond to the question posted last week. Circle of Care covers a very large area, and our new employees work in different areas of Toronto, Scarborough, Etobicoke, North York, Thornhill, Richmond Hill and more. Our recruitment team focuses on hiring PSWs for areas that have less staff, and more clients, so that we can provide these clients will regular visits, and so that other PSWs don’t have to travel so far from client to client. So this is one reason why we are hiring new staff/

One of the other reasons is that the number of PSWs available to work on any given day is not constantly growing as we hire new staff – employees can take time off for holidays, medical leave, maternity leave, other leaves of absences, etc. We need to be able to replace these visits while staff are off, and that’s not always going to be possible without hiring new staff.

Why don’t PSWs get paid for their travel time from one client to the next?

You do indeed get compensated for traveling between clients. As per the Collective Agreement 22.01 Where an employee performs two (2) or more assignments in one day and the employee requires public transportation to travel between the assignments (one or more TTC bus or subway stop, referred to herein as a “Commute”), the employee shall be reimbursed on a monthly basis by the Employer as per the minimum TTC rate schedule for a cash fare for each Commute up to the equivalent of sixty-five percent (65%) of the costs of a monthly TTC pass payable in arrears regardless of whether the worker uses public transportation or their own car. If an employee is hired to work in York region the reimbursement will be based on the TTC rates for transit.

What this means: You get paid for trips from client to client that involve travelling (either by car, bus or subway). You will be compensated at the minimum cost of a TTC cash fare. This is the case even if you use your own car. If you work in York Region, you’ll be paid based on the transit rates there.

This payment, which is paid out monthly, is capped at 65% of the monthly cost of a TTC pass.

If any of my friends want to join Circle of Care as a PSW, how do I refer them, where should they submit their resume, and what kind of benefits would I get for referring them?

If you have a friend that would like to join Circle of Care as a PSW, please have them complete an application through our website. Once you know they have submitted their resume, you should complete the Referral Form. The form will ask you for some basic information about you (your name, employee number, etc) as well as some basic information about the person you are referring (so we can match your referral form to their application).

If they are successfully hired, and complete their probationary period of 6 months with us, you will receive a referral bonus. The referral bonus is $250 for you for each successful hire you refer to us. (So, if you referred two people who were successfully hired and completed 6 months with us, you would receive $500).