PTO To Volunteer
deniseE
902 Posts
Does anyone provide limited PTO to ee's to volunteer for "approved" organizations?
We've been tossing around the idea of developing a program that would permit ee's to take about 2 hours each month of work time to donate to a local charity or organization. We think that this would benefit both the community and our public image...and probably would be appreciated by the ee's as well.
We would want to exclude any directly religious or political organizations...for example running a political campaign or marching in a "pro-life" rally would not be approved...however, working a soup kitchen run by a church would be OK.
We do have a number of ee's participating in a mentor program with the local school district...but as it is the ee's must use their lunch hour...we thought that we could do better....
thougths?
We've been tossing around the idea of developing a program that would permit ee's to take about 2 hours each month of work time to donate to a local charity or organization. We think that this would benefit both the community and our public image...and probably would be appreciated by the ee's as well.
We would want to exclude any directly religious or political organizations...for example running a political campaign or marching in a "pro-life" rally would not be approved...however, working a soup kitchen run by a church would be OK.
We do have a number of ee's participating in a mentor program with the local school district...but as it is the ee's must use their lunch hour...we thought that we could do better....
thougths?
Comments
We tried to get involved with JA (Junior Achievement) where employees volunteer throughout the month. However, like other posters said: It became a nightmare and several began to abuse.
I think it would be hard to decide who could volunteer for what.
If you are a for profit company, I think it is a great idea. One company worked extensively with us on a teen tutoring project. Generated great good will in the community and really helped a lot of struggling teens. I would say go for it if you can get over the hurdles brought out by the posts so far.
Brad Forrister
VP/Content
M. Lee Smith Publishers
I know this could be a nightmare to oversee...but in the long run I think it will benefit everyone!
>and it has been a great success. We allow up to
>8 hours a month to volunteer for any non-profit
>organizations and use our local United Way list
>of organizations as a sample of the groups we
>recognize. Here's how ours works: for every 8
>hours of volunteer time we will credit hour for
>hour of paid time off. So if the employee
>volunteers at least 8 hours a month, every
>month, they stand to earn 12 days of paid time
>off every year. The employee is required to have
>the director of the organization sign off on the
>time worked. When it comes time for the employee
>to use the PTO time, they simply turn in their
>"time off card" and if there is no scheduling
>conflict the time off is granted. If the
>employee leaves us, we do not pay then their
>unused volunteer time. It's use it or lose it
>while you are still employed. It's a great
>incentive to encourage employees to "give back"
>to the community. I'm all for that.
Moses - First of all, just how did you get across the Red Sea???
Seriously - If you give them 8 hours each month away from work is that paid or unpaid? Then another 8 hours or hour for hour up to 96 hours so are you effectively giving them 192 hours a year away from work?
Did I get it right??
>hours of volunteer time we will credit hour for
>hour of paid time off. So if the employee
>volunteers at least 8 hours a month, every
>month, they stand to earn 12 days of paid time
>off every year.
That's not what the post says. 8 hours a month
= 12 days a year. Sounds like it is hour for hour.
Congratulations on having such a generous and civic-minded employer. I thought corporate cutbacks did away with most of them.
James Sokolowski
HRhero.com