Inside the Circle – April 2, 2024

Stay vigilant! Reduce the risk of COVID-19 and other illnesses by washing your hands often, and staying home if you’re unwell. If you have COVID symptoms, report these to the office, and take a rapid antigen test. Don’t forget to continue wearing a mask for all client visits and monitor your clients’ health. Let’s keep our workplace safe!

Please direct any payment-related questions to our Payroll team (payroll@circleofcare.com). This includes any questions about pay stubs, pay codes, T4s or other tax documents, RRSP contributions, and CPP.

We want to hear from you! Please complete the following survey once you are done attending the Elder Abuse training sessions.

Beyond Silence is a free and confidential mental health support program for you. 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, or 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

• Mary Jane Udaundo
• Fe Gamiao
• Marites Utayde
• Santoshi BK
• Anita Portel
• Cerelyn Coxall

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.

Why are PSWs being sent to clients’ home with bedbugs? Whatever happened to workplace safety?
At Circle of Care, your safety is our priority. If a client’s home has a bed bug infestation, we’ll notify you immediately and provide guidance on protecting yourself, your clients, and your family. Respond promptly and sympathetically to reports or suspicions of bed bugs, and call the office to report for quick action and control.

Here is more advice on protecting yourself when caring for a client with bedbugs in their home: https://psw.circleofcare.com/index.php/your-health-safety/#bedbugs

I wish the increase was more reasonable. We work very hard, rain or shine, and we have to deal with the snow in winter.
Thank you for sharing your feedback – this is important feedback that we will be able to bring to the upcoming Collective Bargaining where wage increases beyond 2024 will be discussed. We know that our PSWs work hard and that compensation is an important factor that contributes to well-being and retention of our employees.

Hi I’m [name removed for privacy]. I need your help- I received my Global Benefit card and I found out that I am single on what appears in the Global Benefit card. But I am not single, I have a wife and a son. And I call Marian in Human Resources, and she said that I have to call the Global Benefit office. Unfortunately it’s been a 1 month now that I can’t contact or connect to them. When I called, it says, you’re caller number 78 or whatever number they say. You have to wait for the next available customer service rep, but they never call me back or email me. I am so tired of calling Global Benefit office regarding my issue, please help.
We are so sorry to hear that you have faced challenges with contacting Global Benefits. Thank you for writing in so that we could escalate this issue. On March 27th, we contacted our corporate contact at Global Benefits and had asked that the Global Benefit team reach out to you by March 28th to rectify this issue. Our team will also be reaching out to you via email to confirm that this has been resolved.