Inside the Circle – March 12, 2024

Once you have attended both sessions 1 & 2, please give us some feedback on how we did. The survey can be found on the portal under Learning or click on the link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ZWQ87ZJ

Your feedback is appreciated and can help us improve future trainings.

Here are some tips to keep your body safe while working.

Standing:

• Keep your feet flat on the floor, about 12 inches apart.
• Avoid locking your knees.
• Maintain good posture: keep your shoulders down, chest out, and back straight.
• Change your position frequently to reduce stress on your spine, improve circulation, and reduce muscle fatigue.
• Stretch regularly to loosen tight muscles.
• Wear shoes that provide a stable base and prevent slipping.

Lifting:

• Keep your feet flat on the floor, apart, with one foot slightly in front of the other.
• Stand close to and directly in front of the object before lifting.
• Hold the object close to your body.
• Keep your back straight.
• Bend from your hips and knees, not your waist.
• Avoid twisting and bending at the same time.
• Use your arms and leg muscles to lift.
• Hold the object close to your body at waist level.
• Use the same technique when pushing or pulling something heavy.

For more information, please review our Safe Operating Procedure for Good Body Mechanics.

Carefirst Seniors and Community Services Association, in partnership with Ontario Health Central, is offering free N95 mask fit testing services. This free service is available from February 27 to March 28, 2024, at two locations:

420 Highway 7 East, Unit 104A, Richmond Hill, ON L4B 3K2

• February 27 & 29
• March 18, 19, 21 & 28, 2024
• 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

300 Silver Star Blvd., Scarborough ON M1V 0G2

• March 22 & 25, 2024
• 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

To register for this service, you can either call (416) 646 – 5108 or book online by clicking the button.

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 are available. Appointments must be booked through our vendor, First Aid Care, and can be booked online here: https://firstaidcare.ca/circleofcare-firstaidcare-ca/ or by calling 905-272-9214

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.

Circle of Care is now offering discounted home and auto insurance through our discount program, Perkopolis. For more details, please click the button below.

The DEI Committee is hosting a webinar on Discrimination and Microaggressions. Attendees will learn about the types and impacts of microaggressions, examples in the workplace, and how to avoid them. The webinar will also cover allyship and its importance.

Location: Zoom
Date and Time: Friday, March 22 from 12:00pm – 12:45pm

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/4586794619?pwd=d0FqK2hKSTdOcnhXNDRjOWZwQjZXZz09&omn=86947644779

Meeting ID: 458 679 4619
Passcode: 4211

Don’t forget to check-out the ‘Beyond Silence’ app! This is a free and confidential mental health support program to our PSWs and Homemakers. Through the app, you can access resources to support your mental well-being, and you are able to speak with a trained Peer Support Provider. You can access the app on your Circle of Care work phone, and on your personal device.

ACCESS CODE: CCYP527J8

We ask that if you have just started using the Beyond Silence app, that you fill out the following form:
Baseline: https://canchild.mcmaster.ca/surveys/?s=9XKXWR4KLF44FACE

If you’ve been using the app for a while, please fill out the follow-up form:
Follow-Up: https://canchild.mcmaster.ca/surveys/?s=DDW89H4A9RA47PKH

Ramadan is a special time for Muslims, marking the month when the Quran was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. During Ramadan, Muslims fast from Suhoor (the pre-dawn meal) until Iftar (the meal to break the fast), abstaining from food and water during daylight hours.

Here are some ways that you can support your Muslim colleagues during Ramadan:

Awareness: Understand that fasting during Ramadan means abstaining from food and drink from sunrise to sunset. Fasting can sometimes affect energy levels, so your colleagues might need to take more breaks or sit down more often to regain their energy.

Respect: Respect your colleagues’ choice to fast and their religious practices. Do not use pitying language, such as “I don’t know how you do it,” or “I could never do that.”

Inclusion: Include your Muslim colleagues in social activities and discussions, even if they are not participating in food-related events.

Support: Offer your support and understanding. Let your colleagues know that you are there to help if they need any assistance during this time.

Circle of Care regularly updates our Workplace Hazard Management Tool, which lists different workplace hazards. For each hazard, we have Safe Operating Procedures (SOPs) that explain how employees can lower the risk of illness or injury. These SOPs, covering topics like preventing slips, trips, falls, musculoskeletal disorders, and workplace violence, are available on the PSW portal. Our Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC) reviews both the SOPs and the Hazard Management Tool.

All employees are encouraged to review and be familiar with these procedures. Click the button below to learn more.

When speaking to clients, you want to make sure that you are using Person Centered Language (PCL). This means that you are speaking without judgement or bias, that you are being specific, and that you are being respectful to the client. We have put together a short video outlining what person-centered language is, and how you can use it when you speak to clients.

As per Article 3.03 of the Collective Agreement, employees are reminded that they 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.

On March 15, we celebrate World Sleep Day.

As we adjust to the new daylight saving time, it’s important to think about our sleep habits. Good sleep consists of:

Duration: Enough sleep to feel rested and alert the next day.
Continuity: Uninterrupted sleep.
Depth: Deep, restorative sleep.

This year’s International Women’s Day theme is “Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress,” which means we should support women’s economic empowerment to achieve gender equality. The campaign theme, “Inspire Inclusion,” is about making the digital world safe and fair for all women.

Even though we’ve made progress since the first IWD rallies in 1911, there’s still a lot of work to do. Women still earn less, are less represented in business and politics, and face more challenges in education, health, and safety. But, thanks to the efforts of people and groups worldwide, we’re making a difference.

To learn more about IWD 2024 and how you can contribute to women’s equality in Canada, consider exploring the following resources:

• Women and Gender Equality Canada: Discover the Government of Canada’s theme for IWD 2024 and find ways to get involved. https://women-gender-equality.canada.ca/en/commemorations-celebrations/international-womens-day/2024-theme.html
• Educational Resources: Access a comprehensive guide that supports employers and individuals in celebrating IWD, with insights on women’s experiences in the workplace and guidance on supporting women’s advancement. https://ccdi.ca/media/4283/educational-resources-for-international-womens-day-2024-en.pdf

Do we have a pension plan?
Circle of Care offers a Group RRSP Matching Plan to PSWs and Homemakers. Enrolment in the Group RRSP is voluntary. If you contributed to this Group RRSP plan, a RBC representative will contact you regarding your contributions upon your retirement. You can read more about this in the Collective Agreement: https://psw.circleofcare.com/index.php/workingatcircleofcare/collectiveagreement/

Do we get any gym benefits?
Yes – Circle of Care employees have access to a number of benefits at Body + Soul Fitness through our partnership with the NYTHP. Click here to learn more: https://www.bodyandsoul.ca/nythp/

Why don’t PSWs get a cleaning rate when they clean clients’ homes?
Cleaning (or light housekeeping) is built into the client Care Plan and is built into the Household Management responsibilities outlined in the PSW Job Description.

Will I get my vacation pay if I resign?
Yes – at the time of resignation, Circle of Care will include all accrued vacation pay on the final pay stub.

Why do we not have enough hours? I’ve been working for this company for almost 8 years and I don’t have enough hours. It’s very stressful.
We have fluctuations in clients services and authorized hours. Some clients go to hospital, put their services on hold for a variety of reasons, move outside of our catchment area, have a reduction in hours or are discharged from our services. This can have an impact on PSW schedules, as our volumes from our funders are not guaranteed. We continue to try and accept as many new clients as possible, so as to be able to increase the hours for our PSWs.

My 2 friends want to join our company as PSWs. To whom I should send their resumes?
We’re glad your friends are interested in joining Circle of Care. We invite them to submit their own resumes online to the posting that is currently on our Careers page. Once you’ve confirmed that they have submitted their applications, you can submit a referral form: https://circleofcare.formstack.com/forms/employee_referral_program_form. If your friends are hired, and complete their probation period, you’ll receive a referral bonus!

Can we have a “notes” feature on our phones? Sometimes after reading our messages there’s something we want to make a note of or get back to. Thanks.
Thank you for your suggestion. We have forwarded your suggestion to our IT team, who will look into it.