By Sarah Stone

Published in The Scotsman and The Guardian - January 2024

If businesses in the UK measured performance on the strength of take-up when it comes to volunteering opportunities, many would be facing up to some challenging end-of-year results. 

The fact is, despite so many having good policies in place when it comes to persuading staff to take some paid leave and give back to the community, involvement from employees is low. 

That’s bad news for the third sector who could be benefiting from considerable expertise and hands on deck. 

But it’s also bad for employers and their staff, who have so much to gain from using time that would have been spent at work on something altogether different. 

As another International Volunteering Day passes this month, it’s time for UK firms to recognise that the concept of volunteering needs a makeover. 

Many organisations are decent enough at recognising the social value in enabling staff to spend a certain portion of their time on pro-bono activities. 

But the nature of these can often be all wrong, and merely discourage employees from taking part. 

It goes some way to explaining why, in some organisations – despite it being open to all – as few as five percent of employees fully engage with volunteering schemes. 

Volunteering takes a number of guises, and being more imaginative in how they dispatch their workers’ time and effort can result in considerable benefits for everyone. 

There are so many things that the UK’s charities tell us they could do with support with; from PAT testing for their electrical equipment to risk assessments for their in person events and other activities.  Working in social value across the UK, we see a number of good examples of this as well as the bad. 

A public relations agency supporting third sector organisations with writing and communications; a technology firm supporting a charity with digital transformation of the processes and services so that they can better support their service users; an accountant helping charities with their accounts; and even an office-based company which encourages its workers to become trustees of charities or assume formal roles in community groups.  

The worth of volunteering increases dramatically when the person taking part enjoys it and is able to use their specific skills. 

Often, the more unique the skillset, the more precious it is to the recipient. 

It makes the worker feel more valued, brings diversity to their schedule, and probably makes them think more highly of their employer for footing the bill for their time. 

📰 Link to original article: ‘Volunteers are a goldmine of unused resources within the Scottish economy’

If a firm was really serious about it, they could also incentivise staff by providing an extra day of annual for, say, every three days spent volunteering. 

And for the company themselves, they have a happier staff member on their hands and are able to point to a genuine contribution made to the community. 

Committing to social value is increasingly the deciding factor when winning a major contract – it’s worth including in a proposal, but the bidding company then needs to make absolutely sure they can deliver such a promise. 

It also boosts reputation – and there’s not a business in the world who doesn’t care about that. 

We also must consider the hybrid elements; many workers spend far more time at home than before Covid – and that can lend itself the more suitable volunteering. 

They might welcome a day outdoors as a counter-balance to their home office, or on the flip side could use their time at home supporting a charity remotely. 

Businesses in the main do recognise the importance of volunteering, which is why so many are happy to sign up to any local community scheme that comes their way. 

Yet more could be done to find the right opportunities and allowing their staff to spend more time – and too many treat it as an opportunity for a team-building exercise than a genuine act of benevolence. 

That needs to change and the issue needs to be looked at in the round. 

Some workers may want to brave the elements and get their hands dirty in a local community garden. 

Others may prefer to share their talents from the warmth of their own study. 

Either way, there is a goldmine of unused resource within the UK economy, and everyone stands to benefit from its discovery.