According to the April 17 update to the Public Health Order, the Chief Medical Health Officer has introduced cohorting to Saskatchewan's COVID-19 response. The intent of cohorting is to minimize exposure to COVID-19 among long-term care and personal care homes and protect our vulnerable residents. As a result, beginning April 28, all staff at Extendicare, SHA and/or affiliate long-term care homes, personal care homes and integrated facilities will work at only one facility. 

SUN members who work at only one long-term care home, personal care home or integrated facility will remain at their current worksite. 

SUN members who work at more than one worksite and at least one of those worksites is a long-term care home, an integrated facility or a personal care home, may be cohorted to work at only one site. 

The affected staff are required to let their employers know if they currently hold positions at more than one facility and submit a form ranking their worksites in terms of preference. This form was to have been submitted to managers in long-term or personal care home facilities by 1700 hours on Tuesday, April 21, 2020.

By now, you've received communication from your employer regarding cohorting. Their broadcast message, along with the preference form, and the cohorting framework outlining how Extendicare and the SHA and affiliate organizations intend to implement cohorting can be found here (the form and framework are downloadable PDFs located at the bottom of the page).

Cohorting is not permanent and is expected to last the duration of the Public Health Order. When the Public Health Order ends, employees will be reassigned to all of their worksites as quickly as possible. 

The following principles are foundational to cohorting within long-term care homes, personal care homes, and between long-term care homes, personal care homes and other service areas (Acute Care, home care, etc.):

  • If you currently work at only one worksite, you do not need to do anything differently at this time. You will continue to work at your normal worksite. 

  • If you work at more than one worksite and one of those worksites is a long-term care home, an integrated facility or a personal care home, you may be cohorted to work at only one site.

  • Fulltime employees who work as part-time or casual employees at other sites will be cohorted at the site where they are fulltime.

  • Part-time and casual employees who work at multiple sites will be asked to rank their worksites according to their preferences. 

    • Expressing preference does not guarantee preferred placement. Placement will be determined by the needs of the system. 

  • Employees will retain their combined guaranteed hours at the regular rate of pay. The overtime and premium pay provisions of the CBA remain in effect. 

  • Members who are assigned to duties of a lower-paid classification shall be paid at their current rate of pay. Those assigned to duties of a higher-paid classification shall be paid as per the CBA. 

  • Employers/managers can seek permission from the Chief Medical Health Officer to allow a staff member to work in more than one facility if they are unable to meet adequate staffing levels as a result of cohorting.

By end of day on April 27, 2020, all staff will know the facility they have been cohorted to. Cohorting will be fully implemented by April 28, 2020.  SUN has requested additional information from the employers regarding the process and will be updating members as information is obtained.

This week (April 20-25), the primary focus for the SHA will be cohorting staff in high-risk areas, including COVID-19 testing sites and treatment facilities. This is intended to eliminate situations where staff work in both high-risk areas and long-term care facilities. 

This is a developing situation and SUN is in continuous conversation with the SHA and the Ministry of Health regarding cohorting and all other aspects of our COVID-19 response.

We will continue to share information as it becomes available. 

Our Nurse Practice Officers and Employment Relations Officers are available to answer questions you may have and to help address concerns as they arise. Please contact SUN using the methods below if you would like to speak with someone directly. 

Do you have questions for SUN's EROs/NPOs? Call or email SUN:
Regina                                                         Saskatoon
1-800-667-7060                                           1-800-667-3294
regina@sun-nurses.sk.ca                            saskatoon@sun-nurses.sk.ca