ArticleCanadian journal of public health = Revue canadienne de sante publique2022
The working conditions for personal support workers in the Greater Toronto Area during the COVID-19 pandemic: a mixed-methods study.
Article in Canadian journal of public health = Revue canadienne de sante publique, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers.
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Who cites it
17 citing papers in PubMed.
- "We should be able to make our own decision": transparency, dialogue, and equity as key values of Ontario based Personal Support Workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.BMC health services research · 2026Article
- Stigma and labelling of immigrant personal support workers during COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario: Implications for policy.PloS one · 2026Article
- Challenges Facing Canadian Long-Term Care Homes and Retirement Homes During the COVID-19 Pandemic.Canadian geriatrics journal : CGJ · 2025Article
- Trajectories of Well-Being and Burnout Among Health and Social Services Community Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Longitudinal Study of Job Demands and Resources.Journal of community psychology · 2025Article
- Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Canadian healthcare workforce: a rapid evidence synthesis of key considerations, lessons learned, and promising practices to address the healthcare workforce crisis.Health research policy and systems · 2025Article
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- Vulnerability: An Interpretive Descriptive Study of Personal Support Workers' Experiences of Working During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Ontario, Canada.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Examining the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on homecare services among individuals with traumatic and non-traumatic spinal cord injuries.Spinal cord · 2024Article
- Reducing the Burdens of Paid Caregivers of Older Adults by Using Assistive Technology: A Scoping Review.Western journal of nursing research · 2024Article
- Challenges navigating publicly funded home care in Ontario, Canada: Perspectives from unpaid caregivers of persons living with dementia.Dementia (London, England) · 2023Article
- Commentary: Minding the Gap - Why Wage Parity Is Crucial for the Care of Older Canadians.Healthcare policy = Politiques de sante · 2023Article
- Why Did Home Care Personal Support Service Volumes Drop During the COVID-19 Pandemic? The Contributions of Client Choice and Personal Support Worker Availability.Health services insights · 2023Article
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- Health human resources planning in Canada-Part I: Opportunities and challenges for pharmacy.Canadian pharmacists journal : CPJ = Revue des pharmaciens du Canada : RPCArticle
- A Brief Tool to Screen Patients for Precarious Employment: A Validation Study.Annals of family medicineArticle
- Workplace Challenges and Support Needs Experienced by Nurse Leaders in Home and Community Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study.Inquiry : a journal of medical care organization, provision and financingArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveDuring the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, personal support workers (PSWs) were heralded as healthcare 'heroes' as many of them cared for high-risk, vulnerable older populations, and worked in long-term care, which experienced a high number of COVID-19 outbreaks and deaths. While essential to the healthcare workforce, there is little understanding of PSW working conditions during the pandemic. The aim of our study was to examine the working conditions (including job security, work policies, and personal experiences) for PSWs in the Greater Toronto Area during the COVID-19 pandemic from the perspectives of PSWs.
methodsThis study used a mixed-methods design. From June to December 2020, we conducted a survey of 634 PSWs to understand their working conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Semi-structured interviews with 31 survey respondents were conducted from February to May 2021 to understand in greater depth how working conditions were impacting the well-being of PSWs.
resultsWe found PSWs faced a range of challenges related to COVID-19, including anxiety about contracting COVID-19, reduced work hours, taking leaves of absences, concerns about job security, and losing childcare. While the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the PSW workforce and their importance to the healthcare system (especially in the long-term care system), pre-existing poor work conditions of insecure jobs with no paid sick days and benefits exacerbated COVID-19-related challenges. Despite these hardships, PSWs were able to rely on their mental resilience and passion for their profession to cope with challenges.
conclusionSignificant changes need to be made to improve PSW working conditions. Better compensation, increased job security, decreased workload burden, and mental health supports are needed.
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