2024 Care Workers – Underpaid, Undervalued, Under resourced

Published in: GENERAL

Sub-Category:

GENERAL

Resolution Number:

500.10.38

Background:

People across the world are living longer and there is a higher chance of frailty, illness, disability and health needs. For many elders, insufficient care services and support limit their right to independent living and quality care. Women carry most of the unpaid care, which impacts their income and mental health, and places them at risk for a life in poverty. Due to unpaid care responsibilities, they often adapt their work patterns by taking career breaks, working part-time or leaving the workforce prematurely.

Vulnerable groups, such as domestic and migrant care workers, are particularly challenged. As for paid care, the international long-term care community suffers from staffing shortages, wages below a living wage, and an unsupportive work environment. Those in paid employment are not receiving equal pay, with women earning on average 24 percent points less than men who are doing similar work. The 5R approach (recognizing, reducing and redistributing, reward and represent) is central to policy approaches to decent care work.

BPW International resolves that all Affiliates urge their governments to:
a.       ensure that laws and policies for care workers in both the informal and formal sectors (inclusive of family carers), include social protections, such as workplace safety, benefits (e.g., health care), and pay equity;
b.      develop high quality standards for staffing, staff education and training to drive better outcomes;
c.       recognise the value of care workers by ensuring equal pay for work of equal value;
d.      develop policies based on the 5R approach (recognising, reducing and redistributing unpaid care work and rewarding and representing paid care work); and
e.      establish standards and benchmarks with targets, measures, and national reporting
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Canadian Federation of Business and Professional Women urge the Government of Canada, specifically the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour to enforce labour standards of care workers, the vast majority who are women; and to establish national long term care standards.
BPW Canada passed a resolution in 2021 “Independent Federal Oversight to Ensure Health and Safety of Essential Workers” and in 2020 “Covid 19 and Long-Term Care Crisis” in response to the failures following the Covid 19 pandemic and caregivers.