Inside the Circle- July 30, 2024

In your supply bag, you are able to order nitrile gloves (thin) and rubber gloves (yellow).

Use nitrile gloves for personal care. Change them when moving from a contaminated body area to a clean one on the same client. The gloves are single-use only; throw them out after you wear them.

Use rubber gloves for cleaning. Do NOT use nitrile gloves for this. Rubber gloves are thicker and suitable for long-term use. Use a separate pair for the kitchen. Clean from the cleanest to the dirtiest areas, ending with the bathroom.

Clean your rubber gloves with soap and water before using them at another client’s home. To sanitize your rubber gloves we recommend using vinegar and baking soda. Watch this video to see how:

Staying safe at work is our top priority. To keep our knowledge sharp and prevent slips, trips, and falls (STF), we’ve reopened the STF Prevention eLearning module. This is a great opportunity for everyone to refresh their memory, especially if you did not complete the module in 2023. To self-enroll in this module, log into your Dayforce account, select the ‘Learning’ tab and then select ‘Courses Catalogue’ at the top.

Safety Spotlight
Our Slips, Trips and Falls Policy outlines the shared responsibility we have to keep each other safe. This policy highlights:
• Our commitment to providing a safe workplace and resources to prevent STF incidents.
• Your responsibility to follow safe work practices and report any potential hazards you encounter.

Don’t hesitate to reach out to your Supervisor/Manager or Human Resources with any questions. Let’s work together to prevent slips, trips and falls and keep Circle of Care a safe space for everyone!

Staying informed is key! Review the policy here:

Dayforce has noticed more phishing websites appearing on the internet, trying to steal your information. They have recommended some actions that you can take to protect yourself from phishing attacks. Click the link below to learn more.

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.

Please make sure your 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. You can change your personal information by logging onto the Ceridian Dayforce site. If there are any questions, or to have your information updated, please reach out to HRDept@circleofcare.com

At Circle of Care, we care about the health and safety of our employees. We want our workplace to be a place where everyone feels valued and happy. We believe that when our employees are healthy and feel part of a community, they do their best work.

Our Workplace Well-being and Employee Engagement Committee has developed an action plan around Social Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability. You can read the strategy and action plan here:

In this video, Brene Brown exposes the problems with blame in relationships, and shows how blame hurts and what we can do instead.

Circle of Care is proud to offer discount tickets to this year’s CNE. Purchase your CNE tickets online with our corporate code and save! CNE Corporate rates are the lowest available. You will save off gate prices and retail partner prices too – up to 44% off in savings!

Are you new to Canada and need essential information to help you settle in? We have created a guide to assist you. It includes:

• Free settlement services
• Legal information about your rights and responsibilities
• Education services
• Health care services
• Special bank programs for new immigrants
• Tips for coping with winter weather
• Information on community support and fun activities in your area

Learn more:

Please make sure your 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. You can change your personal information by logging onto the Ceridian Dayforce site. If there are any questions, or to have your information updated, please reach out to HRDept@circleofcare.com

Toronto’s Caribbean Carnival celebrates Caribbean music, food, costumes, traditions, and culture. It is North America’s largest street festival, attracting up to two million people! The Carnival honours the Canadian Caribbean community with many events and activities, including:

• The Grande Parade
• Talk tents with Caribbean storytellers
• Live music showcasing various styles
• Intricate costume designs worn by masqueraders

To purchase tickets or passes, visit https://www.caribanatoronto.com/

If we take clients outside of our availability time do we get extra pay?

No, you do not receive any additional pay for accepting client outside of your stated availability. You will receive your regular pay.

When are employees eligible for sick leave?

Employees are eligible for paid-sick time if they have worked the required 1300 hours in the previous calendar year. We encourage you to review the Collective Agreement, Article 21 for more details https://psw.circleofcare.com/index.php/collectiveagreement/

Are we paid for a travel time of almost an hour (or 48 minutes to be exact)?

Eligible employees will receive a ‘Reimbursement for their Travel’, which is based on distance (kilometers). We encourage you to review the Collective Agreement, Article 22 for more details https://psw.circleofcare.com/index.php/collectiveagreement/

After completing the 650 hours or the probationary period in less than 6 months, what are the benefits we can get?

The PSW Benefit Program is administered by SEIU and Global Benefits. Once you have completed the 650 hours and been enrolled in the program, Global Benefits will reach out to you with more specifics about what types of services are covered within the plan.

I would like to suggest that some of our budget could be used for rain shoe covers for PSWs. A good reusable cover is beneficial especially for the rainy season. Or maybe we can add it on our PPE supplies. Also we don’t need much of the rubber yellow gloves. We use the regular gloves as well for cleaning.

Thank you for your suggestion about rain shoe covers. We have decided not to provide these as they could add to the risk of slips and falls.

Instead, we recommend that our staff have both indoor and outdoor shoes, and that your outdoor shoes are appropriate for the weather expected that day. On days that it is rainy, this could mean rain boots or running shoes that are waterproof/water resistant.

Please DO NOT use your regular gloves for cleaning. These gloves are one-time use and should be used for client care only. Your rubber yellow gloves are there to protect you against harsh chemicals and are designed for multiple uses. Please see the content we have shared above regarding glove use.

If you are working part time, you’re not eligible for sick days if you did not acquire the 1200hrs annually, right? So why did it state in the previous newsletter that part time employees have limited sick days? This is misleading.

The requirement to be eligible for paid sick time is to work 1300 hours in the previous calendar year. We encourage you to review the Collective Agreement, Article  21, for more information https://psw.circleofcare.com/index.php/collectiveagreement/

How will we know that our probationary period is finished?

Your mobile phone will display the hours you have worked, year-to-date. Probationary period is considered completed once you have worked 480 hours. You can also see your hours worked on your paystub. If you have questions, or want to verify your employment status, you can email HRDept@circleofcare.com

Yes is true, I didn’t get paid for the elderly abuse Zoom call and I did sign in. So could you have HR look into it? Thank you.

Please keep in mind that this form is anonymous, so we do not know who you are. Please reach out to the HR department directly if you would like to have their team look into your situation.

This is a question regarding the retro active pay that most PSWs from other agencies received. Are Circle of Care PSWs not entitled to receive the retro pay? Can you please enlighten us. Thank you!

All the PSWs at Circle of Care are unionized with SEIU, and as such, we are bound by a collective agreement. A collective agreement is a contract that aims to create a balanced and mutually beneficial relationship between the employer and the employees, ensuring that the rights and responsibilities of both parties are clearly defined and respected. Recently, the Circle of Care/ SEIU collective agreement has come up for renewal, and management and the union are currently meeting at the bargaining table to work towards a fair deal, which includes discussions about wages.

We are a group of PSWs and we would like to know about the retroactive pay which is supposed to be a compensation added to an employee’s pay cheque to make up for a compensation shortfall in a previous pay period. We heard that most of other agencies got their retroactive pay. Does Circle of Care staff qualify? How come we didn’t receive any retroactive pay?

Similar to the above answer, your union and management are currently meeting to discuss all matters pertaining to the collective agreement, including discussions about wages.

For our accrued vacation pay, can we claim it through cash? When can we ask for it? Are newly hired employees able to benefit from it?

Vacation is a benefit available to all employees. Employees accrue a percentage of vacation pay on each pay cheque based on their seniority.  This is paid out on an annual basis every September. If you would like to request this earlier, you can email Payroll@circleofcare.com

What happened to the Collective Agreement from June 2024? Are we getting a new health benefits plan from Sunlife or Manulife? Something better than Global Benefits? And when can we expect as a PSW to raise our salary per hour?

The Global Benefits plan is administered by SEIU, your union. If you are not satisfied with the plan or the services provided, we ask that you speak to your union stewards or union representative. If you wish to explore other benefit plans, you will need to discuss your options with your union.

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.