The influence of autonomy on personal support workers’ job satisfaction, capacity to care, and intention to stay

Using survey data collected in Ontario, Canada, we explore the impacts of autonomy on community-based Personal Support Workers' intrinsic job satisfaction, capacity to care for and about clients, and intention to continue working in home care. Autonomy was measured as "freedom to decide how to do your job" and "working on your own." Findings show that freedom to do your job and working on your own are both positively associated with job satisfaction and capacity to care, and indirectly increase intention to stay through their relationships with job satisfaction and capacity to care. We suggest that policies should allow personal support workers to make decisions about how to do their job within the care plans provided, to facilitate retention of this highly needed workforce.