Inside the Circle – November 4, 2025

Please take a moment to review the following important reminders regarding scheduling, time off, and work expectations. We would like to remind you that there will be 3 upcoming statutory holidays at the end of the year: Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day.

Q: Am I required to work on statutory holidays?
A: Yes. All PSWs are required to work 50% of all statutory holidays as part of their role.

Q: What should I do if I’m scheduled with a client on a statutory holiday?
A: Please follow your schedule as assigned. Your support ensures clients continue to receive the care they rely on during the holidays.

Q: What if I can’t attend my scheduled visits?
A: If you’re unable to work, please provide at least 24 hours’ notice so we can arrange coverage and prevent missed care.

Q: How do vacation and stat holiday requests work?
A: The timeline for submitting vacation requests for October to December is now closed. Vacation requests needed to be submitted by August 1.
In general, requests for statutory holidays off must be submitted at least 10 weeks in advance and are considered based on seniority, skills, continuity of care, and client needs.

Q: Who can I contact if I have questions?
A: Please reach out to your Client Services Supervisor for clarification or assistance.

November is recognized as Diabetes Awareness Month across the globe, and this year marks the 100th anniversary of the life-saving discovery of insulin. Chances are, diabetes affects someone you know.

King St and Dufferin St Intersection

• When: Monday, September 29, 2025 to Mid-November
• TTC/Traffic Changes: The King St and Dufferin St intersection will be closed to vehicles and transit for TTC track replacement work.

Westbound On-ramp Closed from Park Lawn Rd to the Gardiner Expressway

• When: November 2025 – April 2026
• Traffic Changes: The westbound on-ramp from Park Lawn Road to the Gardiner Expressway will be fully closed from November 2025 through April 2026 for bridge replacement work over Mimico Creek.

For more information about other road closures, tap here.

Our Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC) has prepared this message for you about the importance of immunizations, and the immunization requirements currently in place for you.

Appointments must be booked through Circle of Care Training Hub or by calling 905-272-9214 or by texting 647‑496‑5189 with the following details (full name, email address, training location, and preferred session time).

Important Reminders:

• Please arrive 15 minutes before your training session starts.
• After booking, speak with your Service Coordinator if you need help rescheduling or have client conflicts. Try to choose a time when you have no client visits.
• Your schedule will be marked as unavailable during training. No need to sign in via phone.
• You’ll be paid 4 hours for CPR training and 1 hour for mask fit. This will be added to your schedule 1–2 weeks after the session and listed as ‘Miscellaneous’ on your paystub.
• All bookings and cancellations must be done through the online portal. You’ll receive confirmation and reminders via email/text.

Unsafe client handling is the number one cause of injury in healthcare. The 3 main risk factors when handling and caring for clients are: high force, repetition, and awkward/static postures.

Read the following tips for preventing injury here.

Black Friday is just around the corner, and we’re excited to share that Perkopolis is offering exclusive savings for members! Perkopolis is the perfect place to find all the best offers in one place so you can skip the hunt and still save.  They give you access to over 5,000 exclusive perks and discounts year-round and their Black Friday offers are some of the best of the season. Brands include RW&CO., KitchenAid, HP, New Balance, and more.

Step 1: Click the button below to visit perkopolis.com

Step 2: Enter your email address. Look for an email from us with a link to complete registration.

Step 3: Enter your member ID code where requested. Enter “CC” + your employee ID number (for example, CC12345). Use all caps and no spaces when typing the code.

Happy saving!

Learn simple ways to lower your taxes before the end of the year.

• When: November 12, 2025 (12:00 PM – 1:00 PM)
• Where: Online

Unconscious biases, while often unintentional, can have significant consequences. These biases create obstacles. Microaggressions — including comments, jokes, or behaviours that reinforce stereotypes — are one example of how bias manifests.

You can watch the short video, which explores these issues in depth and provides you with practical strategies.

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.

Why don’t you advocate for PSW car stickers that we could park with, so enforcers wouldn’t give us tickets. There are disability car stickers, we could have something that says “PSW on Duty.”

Thank you for reaching out and for your idea. We do have parking signs available to be placed on your car dashboard, which can be requested at the office when you pick up your supplies. These are intended to help identify that you are a PSW on duty while you are attending client visits, in hopes that parking enforcement officers will take this into consideration. Please note that the sign does not guarantee that you will avoid receiving a parking ticket, as each enforcement officer may respond differently. You are still expected to follow all traffic and parking regulations while on duty. If you do receive a ticket while attending a client visit, HR can provide you with a letter confirming that you were on duty at the time. This letter may assist you in disputing the ticket, though final discretion remains with the enforcement authority. If you are experiencing any specific challenges related to parking or access while attending client visits, please let your CSS know and they can look into possible solutions.

How many hours do I get paid for a float day?

Full-Time employees are entitled to up to a maximum of 7 hours paid time off for their float day and part-time employees are entitled to up to a maximum of 3.5 hours paid time off for their float day.

How many hours of paid time off you will receive depends on how many hours you are scheduled on the day you take the float day. So for example if you are scheduled for 5 hours that day, you would get paid the maximum of 3.5 hours for your float. If you are scheduled for 2 hours that day, then you would get paid for the 2 hours for your float.

Why are new hires telling other PSWs how much they receive for vacation pay?

While we can’t control personal conversations between employees, we want to take this opportunity to remind everyone that pay and compensation details are considered confidential and should not be shared with others. The vacation pay entitlements can vary depending on different factors, so comparisons are not always accurate or helpful. HR is always available to clarify individual vacation pay entitlements directly. You can email us at HRDept@circleofcare.com.

Lots of PSWs complain about not having enough hours but you’re not doing anything about it. Stop suggesting calling the coordinator or CSS they don’t care at all to fix the issues! How can I pay my car insurance if I’m only getting 2-5 hours of client visits a day?

We would be happy to review your availability and see if there are clients we can align into your schedule. When clients have specific preferences, we honour those requests and try to schedule staff that best meets their needs. There are many factors that contribute to the distribution of hours and we encourage you to share your specific concerns by calling your coordinator and supervisor directly.

This isn’t a question but it’s a request, this goes to the fellow PSW workers who have served for a long period: stop making us look stupid in front of clients. One day I was at a client’s place and I had another PSW calling this client and telling her that she was back from vacation, and it looked like she might not be able to come back to serve this client. The PSW advised the client to call the office and ask for her. Suddenly the client’s mood started changing, and she started comparing me to the other worker. This isn’t professional.

Thank you for bringing this concern forward.  We understand your frustration regarding the other PSW contacting the client directly to inform them of their return from vacation.  As a reminder, all scheduling-related communications should go through the office to ensure consistency and fairness for all staff and clients.  Please inform your CSS of this matter so they can address this issue directly with the other PSW and remind them of the proper communication process. We also understand that the client’s reaction and comparison may have been upsetting.  Please know that client preferences can shift for a variety of reasons, and we do our best to manage schedules in a way that maintains a positive client relationship while ensuring fairness to all PSWs. If you would like to discuss this matter further, please email us at HRDept@circleofcare.com.

You are constantly saying to ask our Service Coordinator or CSS for hours and when we do it’s the same response: no hours. And yet new hires are getting so many hours that they have to refuse some visits. After working full time with Circle of Care, I was put to part-time because I didn’t get enough hours. This is so unfair. Every worker should get treated the same way.

We understand your concern and appreciate you bringing this to our attention. We’d be happy to review your availability to see if there are clients we can align with your schedule. While we always strive to distribute hours as fairly as possible, there are many factors that affect scheduling — including client needs, location, and specific preferences.

In some cases, new staff may be matched with clients whose needs or schedules align with their availability. We encourage you to reach out to your Service Coordinator or Supervisor directly to discuss your individual situation so we can look into potential opportunities for additional hours.

I have worked with Circle of Care for 21 years. My name is not on the list of the people highlighted for Years of Service. Why after all my sacrifice for this company are you guys refusing to recognize me? This is not nice. I am very disappointed.

Thank you for reaching out and for your incredible 21 years of service with Circle of Care. We truly appreciate your dedication and the many contributions you’ve made over the years.

This year, we highlighted employees who reached milestone anniversaries in five-year increments (5, 10, 15, 20, 25, etc.). Because 21 isn’t one of those milestone years, your name wasn’t included in this year’s list. That said, we absolutely recognize and value your long-standing commitment to Circle of Care, and we’ll look forward to celebrating your 25-year milestone with you in the future.

Thank you again for all that you do for our clients and community.

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.