Handbooks
From Policy to Practice: Bridging the Workplace Volunteering Disconnect
There’s a clear disconnect between volunteering policies and volunteering in practice, one that must be bridged in order to mitigate the risk of disengagement.
77% of companies offer paid volunteering time, yet 38% of employees never volunteer
Employee volunteering is no longer a “nice to have”. It's a business-critical lever for improving retention, engagement, wellbeing, and purpose at work. Yet despite widespread interest from employees and well-meaning company policies, most organisations fail to convert intent into impact.
OnHand surveyed 471 employees across different industries and organisation sizes to understand the gap between their volunteering policy and practice. The data reveals a clear disconnect: while 77% of companies offer volunteering time, 38% of employees never use it, with fewer than 10% engaging in volunteering regularly.
Why volunteering policies fail
Volunteering policies can fail because of 5 key factors:
Low engagement rates
Lack of knowledge and clarity
Motivation and morale
Unclear volunteering benefits
Lack of managerial accountability
Companies with highly engaged employees are 23% more profitable (Gallup), and a well-designed volunteering program can increase revenue up to 20% (Verizon).
Understanding why your volunteering policy is failing is the first step to correcting it.
20%
A well-designed volunteering program can increase revenue up to 20%
Verizon
23%
Companies with highly engaged employees are 23% more profitable
Gallup
Bridging the gap
The desire to volunteer is there—as well as the resources—but encouraging your employees to make an impact requires a finer-tuned approach than just introducing a volunteering policy and expecting them to manage themselves.
As leaders, you need to commit to the following actions:
Celebrate your employees who do volunteer, so that others can be motivated and inspired.
Introduce flexible opportunities for your employees to do good when, where, and how they want.
Lead by example to prove that you take your volunteering policy seriously, and that your employees should as well.
Ensure your volunteering policy is clear and sure of itself.
By prioritising these four checkpoints, you’ll boost your workplace volunteering scheme and close that disconnect between policy and practice.
Download ‘From Policy to Practice: Bridging the Workplace Volunteering Disconnect’ for the full picture, including exclusive employee insights and a deeper look at how you can engage your employees in workplace volunteering programs.