This afternoon, the Ontario government announced that it will be providing a $3 per hour increase to certain workers across Ontario with a focus on Personal Support Workers (PSWs) in Long-term Care (LTC) homes. The raise will be based on position and sector and will take effect on October 1, 2020 and “could extend” until March 31, 2021 when the premier indicated he hopes to have more permanent arrangements in place to support workers.
The government is reporting that the raise will apply to over 147,000 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 12,300 eligible workers in public hospitals; and
$3 per hour for approximately 47,000 eligible workers in children, community and social services providing personal direct support services for the activities of daily living.
The government indicates that this new temporary wage enhancement will be reviewed on a regular basis in connection with regulations made under the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020.
We will provide further information as and when it becomes available. Be sure to check back here regularly for updates.
You can find the government’s recent newsblast here.
Note: This article provides general information only and does not constitute, and should not be relied upon as, legal advice or opinion. PooranLaw Professional Corporation holds the copyright to this article and the article and its contents may not be copied or reproduced in any form, in whole or in part, without the express permission of PooranLaw Professional Corporation.
