Inside the Circle – April 29, 2025

All employees are encouraged to make sure their 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. Employees are able to change their 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

If you’d like to learn more about the theme of unmasking mental health, the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) has created free resources and activities that you can download and explore, including:

• What is Masking
• Effects of Masking
• Unmasking Mental Health
• Unmasking in the Workplace
• Journal Activities for Reflection

You can access these resources and more through the CMHA Mental Health Week website: https://cmha.ca/mental-health-week/toolkits/

Free Virtual Workshops

Hospital care workers and Personal Support Workers can enjoy 15% off all Pilates class packages! It’s our way of saying thank you for all that you do.

Whether you’re supporting a client with Alzheimer’s or another type of dementia, this guide from the Alzheimer Society of Canada offers practical tips to help with daily care from personal hygiene to routines, safety, and more. It also includes self-care reminders and resources.

Has someone gone above and beyond at work? Give them a High Five!

The High Five program lets you publicly recognize staff members for their outstanding work. High Fives will be posted in your weekly Inside the Circle newsletter.

To give a high five, just click on the button below or use the link in the rotating banner on the Portal home page.

Please note: We do not accept anonymous submissions for this program. High Fives must be submitted by an individual person, whether they are a staff member or member of the community.

A High Five for Helly Patel

I really appreciate the hard work of Helly as a service coordinator. She always helps me to fix my schedule whenever needed and it has been truly invaluable. No matter how busy things get, she always makes time to assist with a positive attitude and professionalism. Your efforts truly makes difference and I am grateful to work alongside you. – Khushbu Patel

A High Five for Paula Smith

Daughter said that she has great feedback for Paula and that Paula handles the client really well. She gives great suggestions to the daughter and her services are awesome. Daughter requested to add PSW to the preferred list. – Alyssa Kalra

Welcome to the following new employees at Circle of Care:

• Tshering Lhaden
• Jane Andalya
• Dorcus Asekenye
• Mary Ann Dela Cruz
• Jasmine Mari
• Caroline Macare Tocci
• Drashti Patel
• Viktoria Mauch
• Linalyn Elacion
• Lydia Nwaizu
• Adriana Gomez
• Nawal Al Maqtari
• Myra Dulguime
• Anne Dela Cruz
• Jenisha Patel
• Sima Weig
• Vandna Kaneria
• Aubrey Arpilleda

If you have concerns about a client/situation or questions about your role, we encourage you to contact your Client Services Supervisor.

I have been working at CofC for 4-5 years. I am a part timer, and since I started I have never complained about my schedule. It’s just recently that things have gotten bad. I am tired of telling my coordinator about my scheduling issues because she is not helping or adding hours to my day. She is only giving me between 2.5-4.5 hours when I am available from 11-8pm. This is not acceptable. She should be fair to every PSW on her team and give us the proper hours of work since it is in the collective agreement that we should have 15-30hrs guaranteed every week.

 Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We understand how frustrating and disheartening it can be when scheduling doesn’t align with your availability and expectations—especially when you’ve demonstrated flexibility and commitment over the years.

We’d like to clarify that the Guaranteed Regular Work Week (GRWW) program applies specifically to PSWs who were hired under its terms. That said, we always strive to provide fair and consistent scheduling for all team members, while balancing a number of important factors such as client needs, staff availability, and travel time.

We encourage you to continue sharing your availability with your Service Coordinator and the Client Services Supervisor (CSS) and let us know if you’re open to working in different areas or outside your usual schedule. Your feedback is important, and we are committed to doing our best to ensure your hours reflect your dedication and availability.

Thank you again for your ongoing hard work and for being a valued part of the team.

I reached out to my service coordinator regarding a change in my work location, but haven’t received any updates on my request. I have followed up, but it has now been a month without a response. Could you please advise me on the best steps to take next?

A: We’re sorry to hear that you’ve experienced a delay in receiving a response—thank you for your patience. If you’ve recently moved, and therefore would like to adjust your work location, we recommend taking the following steps:

 1.        Contact Human Resources to ensure your updated address and any other relevant information are on file.

2.        Reach out to your current Client Service Supervisor (CSS) to provide your updated availability and preferred work area. They can help ensure your information is aligned with current scheduling needs.

If you continue to experience difficulties reaching your Service Coordinator, please let us know so we can assist further or help escalate the matter appropriately.

If you are making changes to our schedule, please inform other clients about it. Otherwise, the PSW that visits them get the blame about the changes of the timing. Also what’s the purpose of having a coordinator if they don’t answer our call? We get transferred to the call center agent and it takes them 30 minutes to an hour to answer.

Thank you for taking the time to share your concerns. We truly appreciate your continued commitment and the important work you do every day.

You’ve raised a valid point—when changes are made to client schedules, it’s essential that clients are informed in advance. This helps prevent misunderstandings and ensures that PSWs are not unfairly held accountable for changes they did not make. We are working to reinforce this communication process with our team to better support both our clients and staff.

We also understand your frustration regarding difficulties reaching your coordinator. Our Coordinators and Client Service Representatives (CSRs) work hard to respond to all inquiries as quickly as possible, but there are times when high call volumes may lead to delays. We recognize how this can impact your day and appreciate your patience and professionalism during these times.

Your feedback is valued and will be shared with the appropriate teams as we continue to look for ways to improve our communication and support. Thank you again for your dedication and the care you provide to our clients.

Can a PSW request or choose the schedule that works for them? Like less travel to save gas, especially if the client allows us to do so. Or can only the coordinator change the schedule, it doesn’t matter if the location of one client is too far from one another. 

At Circle of Care, scheduling is primarily managed by your Service Coordinator. In some instances, other staff may assist with scheduling, particularly when coverage is needed.

We understand that travel time and associated costs can be a concern, and we want to assure you that Coordinators do consider these factors when creating schedules. However, due to the diverse needs of our clients and their locations, travel times between visits may sometimes be longer. PSWs may be asked to travel up to one hour between clients, depending on client needs and the geography involved.

While PSWs do not have the ability to make changes to their schedules independently, we encourage you to reach out to your Service Coordinator if you have concerns about travel distances or other scheduling preferences. They will make every effort to accommodate your needs, balancing those with the requirements of the clients.

We greatly appreciate your dedication and the care you provide. Thank you for your continued professionalism and hard work.

Have a question? Submit your questions or feedback anonymously below!

Please note that it may take us longer to provide some answers. If your question hasn’t been answered yet, we will get back to you as soon as we can.