Prioritizing Health and Wellness for Staff

A focus on supporting frontline staff

The health and well-being of staff are one of Circle of Care’s priorities. In January 2022, we accomplished one major objective – to provide Personal Support Workers (PSWs) and Homemaker employees with health benefits. Full-time PSWs and Homemakers now have access to an Extended Health Benefit and Dental Care package.

Along with providing our PSWs and Homemakers comprehensive benefits, we improved their connection to each other and to the office by introducing a weekly newsletter called Inside the Circle, designed specifically for our front-line staff. An anonymous question box and regular polls allow our PSWs and Homemakers to provide input or questions directly from their work phones, promoting a stronger connection between office and front-line staff. 

Activities to improve physical wellness

Over the last year, Circle of Care has also promoted both internal and external resources to combat isolation and improve physical wellness among our staff. This has included a variety of fun activities, including step challenges, and an ‘Actions for Wellness’ challenge – improving the mental health of staff daily. Staff also had the opportunity to attend weekly 20-minute exercise sessions over ZOOM on their lunch break.

In addition to these internal activities, staff were given access to external opportunities to help improve their physical wellness at home, including a special ergonomics feature, highlighting the importance of posture and effective office furniture. 

This story is featured in Circle of Care’s Annual Report 2021-2022.