End of a pandemic-era bonus worries Quebec seniors' residence owners

On Dec 31, Quebec ends the wage bonus paid to nurses and orderlies in private seniors' residences, which began in 2022. The owners' group fears cuts to services, or even closures.

Share of payroll covered by the bonus

14 %

The bonuses amount to about 14 per cent of payroll for the residences concerned, or an average of $90,174 a year, the Regroupement québécois des résidences pour aînés estimates.

The group asks Quebec for a four-year tax credit covering 37 per cent of caregivers' wages. The health ministry says the end of the bonuses on Dec 31 was announced in 2022.