The County of Wellington will apply to receive a “Canadian Compassionate Companies” designation.
At the April 17 administration, finance and personnel committee meeting Michele Richardson, the county’s assistant director of human resources, reported that the Waterloo Wellington Local Health Integration Network in partnership with Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association requested the county apply for the designation.
The designation will identify the county’s commitment to the Canadian Compassionate Communities vision of a “whole of community” approach to death and dying, Richardson explained in her report.
As a result of the aging population, it is anticipated the number of deaths in Waterloo Wellington will increase by 58 per cent over the next 12 years, the report notes.
“This means more of our employees will be serving as substitute decision makers, in the role as caregivers and will be affected by the loss of a loved one. Attaining the Canadian Compassionate Companies designation will demonstrate to both potential and existing employees the County of Wellington recognizes the importance of supporting employees while they are fulfilling these vital roles,” Richardson explained in the report.
Achieving the designation would enable the county to advertise itself as a Canadian Compassionate Company, including the use of the organization’s logo.
To obtain a designation organizations must achieve three of five criteria:
– a human resources policy that lays out a Companionate Care Leave Benefit (CCLB) endorsing the job-protected family medical Employment Insurance benefit currently at 26 weeks;
– employees’ jobs are protected while they are off on the CCLB program;
– compassionate care leave could provide employees with income top-up of benefits over and above the job protected family medical employment insurance benefits leave offered through the provinces and the federal EI program;
– a caregiver accommodation policy that allows for support and flexibility within economic reason;
– promotion of Advance Care Planning (ACP) using resources and tools at www.advancecareplanning.ca or personalized materials.
The report notes Wellington has met the first, second and fifth of the criteria.
County council, at the April 26 meeting, endorsed the committee’s recommendation to apply for the designation.
