CALEB NICKERSON
PONTIAC Jan. 15, 2020
The Equity published data back on Dec. 4, 2019 showing that overtime hours and compensation at the . . .
Pontiac Community Hospital had quadrupled between 2014 and 2019, nearly reaching $1 million per year. Following the acquisition of that data from the regional health authority, CISSSO, The Equity filed an access to information request for a detailed breakdown of the overtime hours and compensation for the clinics and long-term care facilities in the region.
The data shows that overtime has been increasing steadily at the local long-term care facilities, especially amongst nursing staff and auxiliary services. Some of the local clinics saw increases in overtime hours between 2015 and 2019, but others stayed relatively stable. Note: the years referred to in the data are fiscal years, not calendar years.
At Chsld Pontiac, the overtime hours soared in recent years specifically in auxiliary services and trades, rising from just under 200 hours in 2015 to more than 1,200 in 2019, at a cost of just over $37,000.
The Chsld du CAP in Shawville saw their overtime for nurses double between the same time period (916.59 hours/ $40,211.36 in 2015 to 1,894.21 hours/ $90,836.04 in 2019), and more than quadruple for auxiliary services and trades (341.01 hours/$9,592.81 in 2015 to 1,869.34 hours/$58,160.45 in 2019). At the CAP alone, just under $150,000 was spent on overtime in 2019.
At the Chsld in Mansfield the story was similar, with slightly smaller increases over the same time period for nurses (1,570.66 hours/$75,599.53 in 2015 to 2,186.04 hours/$114,942.54 in 2019) and auxiliary services and trades (474.92 hours/$14,530.20 in 2015 to 1,638.30 hours/$51,032.93 in 2019).
The CLSC in Mansfield saw a slight dip in overtime in between 2015 and 2016, but it has doubled in the intervening years, rising from 1,159.03 hours/$60,085.64 in 2016 to 2,307.91 hours/$129,865.13 in 2019. The increase was predominantly due to nursing overtime, but there were increases for administrative staff and technician jobs as well.
The overtime hours at the CLSCs in Shawville, Quyon and Chapeau all stayed relatively stable over the last four years, with the Quyon branch seeing a spike in 2018.
The CISSSO has publically stated that they are working hard to fill positions across the region, but a province-wide labour shortage has hampered their efforts.
“CISSS of Outaouais participates in different job fairs in the area to establish a proximity contact with future candidates,” wrote CISSSO spokesperson Marie-Pier Després in an email. “We also meet students directly in schools who have healthy programs to promote professions in [the] health and social services network. We want to attract them.”
