Gas prices are putting pressure on Canadians from coast to coast. But none are feeling the heat more than the healthcare workers who travel to and from clients’ homes every day to provide necessary care and comfort. Personal support workers in the homecare sector are under massive amounts of pressure as it is, from the fears associated with COVID-19 to the low wages they currently face for the essential, gruelling work that they perform. The Ontario government can help by immediately implementing a per-hour wage increase that will allow them to fill their tanks without breaking the bank. Homecare is at a crisis point. Help those who help us most by pushing these funds through as soon as possible. The sector may not be able to survive it otherwise.

It’s no secret that personal support workers do an incredibly demanding job, for very little pay. Whether in a long-term care home, a retirement home, or a hospital, these healthcare heroes go above and beyond to support their team while caring for their patients. But they aren’t the only ones. A segment of these workers is placed under even more stress than those who work in healthcare facilities. Homecare PSWs bear the additional burden of having to drive from client to client, in their own vehicle, and often without adequate reimbursement from their employer. Prior to 2022 this was a concern, but it has been compounded even further by record-breaking prices at the pumps. For PSWs who drive hundreds of kilometres each week to perform their in-home duties, at a fraction of the pay scale of other healthcare workers, this is a heartbreaking reality. Instead of picking up more clients or shifts, some have been forced to save their money by turning down work opportunities—or leaving the homecare industry altogether, a scary reality when we know there is a shortage of these workers in Ontario. Let’s encourage these workers to stay the course and continue providing assistance and care to their clients by funnelling emergency funds to them during this trying time. The government was able to do so during the pandemic when it was all hands on deck—this time around, the need is just as great, and just as legitimate.

Statistics support the fact that most of the province’s sick and elderly would rather remain at home than be treated in a hospital or long-term care setting. It’s also the more affordable option, with facility care quoted at nearly twice the cost of having care provided to a patient in the home. And while there are thousands of workers across Ontario who provide such valuable services to our vulnerable populations, one big development is preventing them from going above and beyond in their roles: the astronomical rise in gas prices. Spending the day driving between clients can take a toll on one’s car, to say the least. With gas now soaring above $2 per litre, and with many of these PSWs being offered compensation far below the allowable rate by the CRA—sometimes as low as $0.44 per kilometre—they are being forced to choose between providing care and having money for rent, food, and other necessities. The time is now for the government to act. Provide homecare PSWs with a much-deserved and much-needed boost to their already abysmally low wages. Without it, many will not be able to afford to stay within the sector, and Ontario will suffer for it.

We all know that gas prices are out of control. But there are Ontarians who are being unfairly marginalized because of their job—a job that thousands of vulnerable citizens rely on, day in and day out, in order to have a healthy and fulfilling life. These workers are the PSWs who work in the homecare sector of our province. The difference between a PSW who works in a hospital and one who works in homecare is that homecare workers must use their personal vehicles to travel to and from clients’ homes. Not only does that place excess strain on their cars, but they are also now facing the reality that gas is climbing above $2 per litre—even with the promised gas tax breaks ahead, this is far too much to ask of these already overburdened workers. The Ontario government can and should help. Funding to offset this financial stress should be applied immediately to the homecare sector, much like the emergency funds were used during the pandemic to help retain the number of healthcare workers necessary to fight COVID-19 on the front lines. Please think of our elderly and ill citizens the next time you pull up to the pump. For you, the high price may be a minor inconvenience—for them, it can mean the difference between getting the in-home care they need and being left on the sidelines.

The simple fact of the matter is that homecare workers can no longer afford to drive to their clients’ homes to offer the care they desperately need. Thousands of personal support workers assist thousands of Ontarians in the comfort of their homes every day. Getting to these clients requires these PSWs to use their own cars and trucks, which wouldn’t usually be a problem, aside from three important factors: 1) PSWs in homecare receive some of the lowest wages among healthcare workers. 2) Most of the companies that employ these workers are not adequately reimbursing them for their time and travel. 3) Skyrocketing gas prices are financially crippling many homecare PSWs. Even worse: none of these issues will be resolved soon. The result? Hundreds of PSWs may leave their roles for more profitable positions. Let’s encourage these workers to remain in their necessary roles—and encourage those looking for a new career to consider the homecare sector—by equipping them with a boost to their wages, to help them pay for their travel time and costs. The future of Ontario’s homecare industry depends on it. I look forward to hearing your response.

Imagine driving hundreds of kilometres each day as part of your job, without adequate reimbursement to cover the costs. Now imagine that you are forced to shell out over $100 to fill up your tank, several times a week. Now imagine that your job is caring for the sick and elderly in their homes, and without your support, these patients won’t have the quality of life that they deserve. This is the reality for thousands of PSWs across Ontario who are employed in the homecare sector. The recent sharp increases in gas pricing that have been stunning Canadians from coast to coast for months is putting these workers at a disadvantage: fill up your tank and perform your duties or have enough money to pay for food, rent, and more. I am calling on the Ontario government to provide immediate emergency funding to Ontario’s homecare workers, to help them cover the expenses associated with the meteoric rise of gas prices. They put their health and safety on the line throughout the pandemic to care for our loved ones—shouldn’t we show them how much we appreciate all they have done?

Driving for a living is a reality for many workers in Ontario, including homecare PSWs, who drive hundreds of kilometres each week to care for their clients. What many outside of the industry don’t know is that these workers can find themselves eating into their personal profits because they have to fill up their tanks and pay for repairs on their vehicles—often without appropriate reimbursement from their employers, who are more concerned with their own bottom line than the livelihood of their employees. Our government is in a position to help these essential workers. You went to bat for healthcare workers during the pandemic with emergency funds. Now you have another opportunity to show that you understand their plight by supplying them with a per-hour wage increase to counteract the debt that many of them are going into, all for the sake of the career that they love. Do the right thing. Show our homecare workers that their efforts aren’t in vain. Without your help, many will consider leaving this crucial sector for positions that don’t put them in the red.