Hiring from an Agency or PA

There are some distinct advantages in dealing with an agency or Public Authority, rather than employing an independent home care worker. Agencies and PAs recruit and/or supervise their personnel, for example, and assume all liability if something goes wrong in a client’s home. Most do background checks of the workers they hire.

When a worker is employed by an agency or PA, the worker is either certified to do a specific job or has received some basic training. Because the agency or PA assumes the role of official employer, it takes full responsibility for issuing paychecks, witholding taxes and complying with all health and safety regulations.

Also, if the home care worker is sick or, for some other reason, is unable to come to the client’s home, the agency or PA is responsible for supplying a replacement. With an independent worker, a frail client could be in a desperate situation if there’s an unscheduled absence. Imagine not being able to get out of bed in the morning without assistance.

Questions to ask

When calling an agency in search of a home care worker, it's a good idea to ask the agency the questions listed below —and feel comfortable with the answers:

• Is your agency licensed or accredited and, if so, by whom? 
  
  
• Does the agency have Medicare certification? 
  
  
• Are you a for-profit enterprise, or non-profit? 
  
  
• How long have you been in operation? 
  
  
• How do you determine what services are needed? 
  
  
• What types of tasks do your caregivers perform? 
  
  
• Do you put your care plans in writing? 
  
  
• Are there limits on hours of the day for home care services? 
  
  
• Do you screen your workers before you employ them? If so, how? 
  
  
• Do you provide training for your workers? If so, what does it consist of? 
  
  
• Is your agency bonded? Are your employees bonded? 
  
  
• What are your fees and what do they cover? Do you have a sliding fee scale? 
  
  
• Who pays the worker — the agency or the client? 
  
  
• Who supervises your home care workers? 
  
  
• What do I do if my caregiver doesn't report for work? Will you find a replacement?
  
  

Another important question

Home care workers — especially those in the non-professional categories — tend to be low paid and have few employee benefits. AFSCME is trying to change that through the union’s organizing program.

In locations where AFSCME has organized home care workers, we've been able to raise pay and add some benefits too, through collective bargaining. Benefits range from paid sick leave and vacations to health care and pension plans, grievance procedures, and opportunities for peomotion. It’s virtually impossible to make these advances for large numbers of independent home care workers.

AFSCME believes that collective bargaining with home care agencies — as well as Public Authorities — can bring more dignity and security to home care workers. While most of these employers have yet to sit down at the bargaining table, you may want to inquire if their operation is a union shop. By asking, you’ll show them you care about the wellbeing of home care workers and would support a unionized workplace.

Also, if you should hear about a campaign to establish a Public Authority for home care services in your state or community, AFSCME hopes you’ll get involved. The same is true if you should hear about AFSCME efforts to organizehome care workers at a Public Authority or agency. The voices of home care clients and their families, as well as other concerned seniors and persons with disabilities, are particularly valuable in these organizing drives. The workers will thank you.