More than 158,000 workers have benefitted from temporary increase since October 2020
Ontario is investing $141 million to extend the temporary wage increase for personal support workers (PSWs) and direct support workers in publicly funded home and community care, long-term care, public hospitals, and social services sectors.
Under the funding, the temporary wage increase will be extended until Aug. 23, 2021. This will help stabilize, attract and retain the workforce needed to provide a high level of care during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the government.
“Our government is committed to supporting personal support workers and direct support workers as they care for Ontarians during the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “These wage enhancements recognize personal support workers and direct support workers for their dedication to their patients, and help ensure they have the resources they need to continue delivering quality care in our communities.”
The government previously extended the temporary increase until June 30, 2021. The province will continue to review the wage increase to inform the next steps after Aug. 23, 2021, it said.
“WOW WHAT ABOUT NURSES,” tweeted the Support Ontario Nurses Against Bill 124 Twitter account.
The province has been providing a temporary wage increase since Oct. 1, 2020, to over 158,000 workers who deliver publicly funded personal support services, including:
-
$3 per hour for approximately 38,000 eligible workers in home and community care;
-
$3 per hour for approximately 50,000 eligible workers in long-term care;
-
$2 per hour for approximately 10,000 eligible workers in public hospitals; and
-
$3 per hour for approximately 60,000 eligible workers in children, community and social services providing personal direct support services for the activities of daily living.
Through the COVID-19 Fall Preparedness Plan, the government invested $52.5 million to recruit, retain and support over 3,700 more frontline health care workers and caregivers. It is one of the largest health care recruiting and training programs in Ontario history.
To date, more than 600 personal support workers, 500 nurses and 130 supportive care workers have been added across the province through this plan. This is in addition to thousands of new staff hired through other programs like pandemic pay.
In November 2020, Ontario launched the Ontario Workforce Reserve for Senior Support, a program focused on recruiting, training and deploying individuals as resident support aides (RSA) to work at homes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
