By Alison Nelson, Sales and Marketing Coordinator
We’ve all heard of paid time off, but what about volunteer time off? Volunteer time off (VTO) is an increasingly popular employee benefit that businesses are offering as a way to demonstrate how seriously they take social responsibility. Offering VTO is also a way to recruit and retain employees. According to this Employee Benefits News article, “75% of millennials expect their employer to participate in social good, either with donations or through volunteering.” Additionally, 51% of employees expect that their employer allows workers to volunteer during work hours.
Encouraging employees to volunteer is a great way to create (or solidify) a caring company culture and represent your brand in a positive light. It’s also an excellent way to promote your business via word of mouth. Employees who have VTO are likely to boast about that benefit and, by extension, their employer.
You’re interested in offering VTO to your employees, now what?
Market it! After you establish your official VTO policy (click here for examples), begin by setting a goal of contributing a certain number of cumulative volunteer hours per year. Then, take to social media for community engagement and PR. Announce your new employee perk and ask the community who their favorite nonprofits are. An example of this could read, “The team at Awesome Company have set a goal of contributing 5,000 hours of community service this year! Comment below with your favorite nonprofit!”
The social media engagement on your post will help boost your company’s page, creating more exposure and brand awareness. Be sure to engage with those who comment on your post for an additional boost. As employees begin to use their VTO, share photos of them (ideally wearing your logo) on social media to keep your followers updated and engaged.
VTO is a great employee benefit to offer and it demonstrates your values as a company. Your employees will appreciate the opportunity and, most of all, you would be helping the community.
