Personal support workers shortage
Employer blames minimum wage hike
A severe shortage of personal support workers is putting people in hospital and long-term care facilities when they could manage at home with help, says a local businessperson.
Sally Harding, president and CEO of Nightingale Nursing on Lakefield Rd., says she has 1,000 clients — but she could serve a lot more if only she could hire more PSWs.
“We turn down clients every day,” Harding told seven other local businesspeople and two MPPs at a discussion at the Innovation Cluster in downtown Peterborough on Wednesday.
One reason for the shortage of PSWs, Harding said, is the pay: it’s typically about $16.50 an hour.
Few people want to complete two years of college training to get into this demanding line of work, she said, when a minimumwage job now earns $14 an hour.
The recent hike in the minimum wage came on too fast, Harding said; it means job ads for PSWs might get two applicants after a week.
“It’s extremely difficult.” Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith organized the roundtable on Wednesday with the help of Innovation Cluster CEO Mike Skinner as part of the provincial government’s quest to spur business growth.
MPP Michael Parsa, the parliamentary assistant to Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade Minister Jim Wilson, was there.
Parsa is touring Ontario asking local businesspeople to tell him how provincial government regulation — or “red tape”, as he calls it — is hindering business growth.
He’s done 10 previous roundtables in cities such as Toronto, Barrie and Newmarket.
“We campaigned on making sure Ontario is open for business — and we mean it,” Parsa said. “The premier himself is behind this project. He’s a businessman — he understands. He gets it.”
Parsa said he’s heard from businesspeople across Ontario who feel that there’s unnecessary regulations hindering them daily.
One told him his employees are all required by provincial legislation to complete Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System training to handle chemicals safely, for example — even though they’re a tech startup and don’t ever use chemicals.
“One businessman told me, ‘All we want you guys (government) to do is stay out of our way,’” Parsa said.
John Desbiens, the president and CEO of Cambium Consulting and Engineering on Hunter St.
E., said his firm’s clients are often developers. They come to Cambium for studies such as environmental impact reviews.
Although these developers get a professional study from Cambium, Desbiens said, the provincial government gives final approval for development — which often takes a lot longer than clients would like.
Government staff don’t usually visit the site proposed for development, he noted, and yet they get the final say in whether construction can take place.
Projects often languish while developers wait for these approvals, Desbiens said.
“And they (government staff ) are unapologetic for the delays,” he said.
Parsa said he’s been hearing from “upset” business owners across Ontario since he’s started the tour, and it’s no wonder: he says there are thousands of provincial regulations that constitute red tape for business owners.
No other province has so many regulations that affect businesspeople, he said.
Parsa told the businesspeople in the room on Wednesday that he’s listening — and that they should also reach out to Smith if they have any further concerns.
“He’s your go-to person — and so respected in the legislature,” Parsa said.
NOTE: Dave Smith can be reached at 705-742-3777 or at dave.smithco@pc.ola.org