On July 8, 2021, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced she would make a temporary amendment to the Facility Staff Assignment Order (“Single-Site Order”) that would allow fully vaccinated staff in long-term care (LTC) and assisted living (AL) facilities to provide casual coverage outside their “single site,” as long as the additional site(s) are within a determined “cluster” of facilities.
This means that fully vaccinated staff can work in more than one facility (on a temporary basis), as long as the facilities they work at are all in a designated “cluster”. The amendment to the order was issued on July 28, 2021.
Background
The Provincial Health Officer (PHO) announced this temporary change to the current Single Site Order mainly to address staffing shortages that are occurring across many sites in the summer months due to staff vacations.
Only staff who are fully vaccinated can access casual work outside their designated single site as the PHO has determined that fully vaccinated staff pose a lower risk to transmitting COVID-19 to residents and other staff.
How long does this change last?
This temporary change to the Single Site Order was initially set to expire on September 30, 2021. In a variance to her order issued on September 29, 2021 the PHO extended the expiry date to December 31, 2021.
What is a facility cluster?
A facility cluster is a group of facilities determined by health authority working groups that were established under the original Single-Site Order (more from Ministry of Health):
A facility cluster will generally meet the following conditions:
• The cluster is made up of three facilities (with some possibility of exceptions) and can be a mix of ownership models (e.g. health-authority-operated, non-profit, for-profit).
• All facilities in a cluster are within the same geographic region.
• A facility cluster has a recommended total maximum bed count of 300.
Who is allowed to work at more than one facility in a cluster?
Site operators/employers, including sub-contractors, may permit a LTC/AL worker within their cluster to obtain casual work at their site if the worker can provide proof of being fully vaccinated (more than 14 days have elapsed since their second dose). Workers can prove their vaccination status by showing their vaccination card or their online vaccination record through Health Gateway.
What happens if there’s an outbreak at a site?
In the event of an outbreak at a site, staff will only be allowed to work at their designated single-site facility, unless exempted by the medical health officer (MHO), until the outbreak is over.
Does this mean that the Single-Site Order is finished?
No. This is a temporary measure that is set to expire on September 30, 2021.
Will my wages continue to be levelled up?
Yes. Levelling up will continue to be in effect until at least the end of the year, and government has committed to continue this practice beyond the pandemic.
Which collective agreement will I be covered by if I accept casual work?
You will be covered by the collective agreement in effect at the site where you accept casual work as would normally be the case. But wages will continue to be levelled up.
How can I find out if my site is within a cluster?
Site operators and health authorities will coordinate the announcement of the establishment of clusters to workers.
What if there’s an outbreak at my site?
This policy will be suspended in the event of an outbreak and you will be limited to working at your designated single site.
Where can I find out more information about this SSO amendment?
You can read the amendment to the Single-Site Order here. The Ministry of Health has also created a guidance document on the creation of clusters.
Please contact your Staff Representative if you have any questions about this amendment to the Single-Site Order.