Inside the Circle – May 28, 2024

To reduce transmission of infections, please continue these safety and infection control measures:

• Hand Hygiene: Practice regular and frequent handwashing.
• Health Check: Ensure you feel well and have no symptoms before starting your shift.
• Stay Home if Unwell: If you’re feeling unwell, stay home from work.
• COVID-19 Symptoms: If you have COVID-19 symptoms, stay home for 24-48 hours and take a rapid antigen test.
• Report Positive Test: Report to the office if you test positive for COVID-19.
• PPE Protocol: Wearing a mask for all client visits.
• Client Monitoring: Pay attention to how your clients are feeling, and report any new symptoms to your CSS. Wear additional PPE (gloves, eye protection, and isolation gown) if needed.

We will be moving to a new method of recognition for employees. The Applause platform that we currently use will be discontinued. You have until June 25, 2024 to redeem your points balance in Applause. After this date, the points will be lost. You can transfer your point balance onto a single gift card.

For detailed instructions, please refer to the linked PDF:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Zpwo4iGiM5SUpQWdbE_KzOyVm05b55uN/view

Note: points that are redeemed for a cash gift card (ie. VISA. MasterCard, Amazon), or over $500 total in value, will be a taxable benefit.

Join us for a discussion on the ways to create an effective budget. Register for the webinar by clicking the button below.

RBC will be bringing their dedicated Group Advisor team to touch on ways in keeping your finances in order by starting with a budget you can incorporate in your day to day life.

When: Wednesday June 12th, 2024 | 12:00 PM EST via WebEx
*You can join from your browser*

Sometimes, we judge or treat people differently based on how they look or who they are, without even realizing it. This is called unconscious bias, and it can affect our thoughts, feelings, and actions towards others.

But we can change that. In the video below, you will discover what unconscious bias is, how it impacts you and others, and how you can fight it.

You are reminded to complete the mandatory 30 minute e-learning module through Dayforce that is focused on increasing awareness of historical and current Indigenous culture by July 23, 2024. Access this course by logging into your Dayforce account and selecting the ‘Learning Tab’. You will receive 30 minutes of paid training for this course, which will be paid out in August after the course has completed.

Budgeting is key to staying on top of your finances. Here are some easy tips to help you start:

• Create a Monthly Budget: Write down your income and plan for essential expenses.
• Set Up an Emergency Fund: Save enough to cover three to six months of living costs.
• Track Your Spending: Use budgeting apps or spreadsheets to see where your money goes and find ways to save.
• Set Financial Goals: Define what you want to achieve in the short and long term to stay motivated.

A great app to try is Mint. It’s free, connects to all your financial accounts, and tracks your spending automatically. Mint also offers alerts, tips, and goals to help you manage your money better.

Don’t forget to check-out the ‘Beyond Silence’ app! This is a free and confidential mental health support program for 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

For more information about the program, please click the button below.

We welcome the following new PSWs to Circle of Care:

• Dristi Gautam
• Terelyn Taraguma
• Kernetta Pinto
• Doreen Nyamosi
• Cherrie Katipunan
• Mary Rose Manuel
• Paula Monleon
• Kathryn Galvez
• Shevelly Mae Cabuhat

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.

Could we have a zoom training regarding empowering women by being a team player? I have noticed other PSWs putting each other down and gossiping. We should help each other, especially to those who are new. We should be supporting them, as we were once new before. I have a friend who went to cry because of bullying at work. There are already issues regarding our scheduling and hours of work that cause stress for us, bullying and gossiping shouldn’t be added to that. We could be kinder to each other, which would make our burdens lighter.
Thank you for this feedback – and you are completely right. We are trying to foster a respectful and safe environment for all, and a key component of this is ensuring a workplace that is free of harassment and bullying. All employees are respected to treat each other with respect, and bullying incidents will be investigated by Circle of Care. We encourage you to report any bullying to your CSS or to Human Resources. We also encourage you to use our existing supports, including the Beyond Silence app where you have access to Peer Support Providers. https://psw.circleofcare.com/index.php/wellness-at-work/ We will also take back your suggestion to have a tailored training on how to better be a team player.

Is it possible to switch our benefits into hoop pension so we have some money when we retire? Global benefits proved over and over again to be useless. Not much support and answers to questions. Hoop is better so we have something to look forward to when we retire. We have money to pay rent, buy food, and basic needs. Costs of living is so crazy and I think hoop pension will help big time when the time comes we are not working anymore.
Thank you for this suggestion and we have been working with Global Benefits to pass this feedback onto their team so that we can improve the level of support our PSWs are receiving. We encourage you to escalate any issues concerning Global Benefits to HRDept@circleofcare.com so that our team can escalate to our contacts at Global Benefits on your behalf. We also currently have a program that is geared towards retirement savings – which is a group RRSP. This group RRSP is voluntary for employees to enroll in, and will provide for an Employer matching contribution of up to $300 per year for full time employees, and $150 per year for part time employees. For more information about our RRSP, you can refer to Article 24 in the Collective Agreement https://psw.circleofcare.com/index.php/collectiveagreement/ or reach out to our Payroll team (payroll@circleofcare.com)