SENATORS’ STATEMENTS — Personal Support Workers

Honourable senators, I recently met with members from the Canadian Labour Congress to discuss key issues facing workers across the country.

Janice Pitt, a personal support worker, or PSW, and member of the union, told me about the challenges faced by PSWs who serve vulnerable clients in their homes. Janice’s hard work, compassion and dedication ease the burden faced by many vulnerable citizens, so Janice and her PSW colleagues deserve our support too.

PSWs play a valuable and central role in home care, community care and long-term care environments, supporting clients with essential daily activities, providing emotional companionship and ensuring the comfort and safety of those living with chronic illnesses, disabilities and age-related conditions.

There is a widespread shortage of PSW staff in virtually all care settings, placing enormous strain on those who remain, and compromising the quality of care, especially in rural and remote regions.

Pay disparities across sectors, especially between home and community care and institutional care, make the issues worse. Many PSWs work part time on temporary contracts with unpredictable work schedules, leaving them without secure income. Home care appointments can be cancelled at the last minute, leaving workers unpaid and requiring many workers to juggle multiple jobs or to seek work elsewhere.

Insufficient benefits, lack of workplace protections, access to paid sick leave, health insurance and retirement plans vary widely and, in some settings, are completely absent. The complexity of clients’ needs are also increasing due to our aging population and the growing prevalence of multiple chronic conditions.

Several provinces are investing in strengthening and growing this workforce with financial supports to encourage workforce participation. Alberta has launched a bursary program, providing up to $9,000 to individuals pursuing health care aide certification, helping new workers complete their training and enter the field. Ontario has implemented similar initiatives, investing money to expand PSW training.

The 2025 budget includes a new refundable tax credit available from 2026 to 2030 that will allow eligible PSWs to claim 5% of their qualifying earnings, up to a maximum of $1,100 per year, which will automatically be applied through the tax system. Making this effective for the current 2025 tax year would help even more.

Janice told me that, in addition to fair wages and guaranteed hours, paid sick days would also make a positive difference.

Colleagues, please join me in pressing our provincial, territorial and federal governments to step up and do more to support PSWs and the vulnerable clients they care for day and night. Thank you.