UK employers are largely opposed to the Conservative manifesto pledge of extending their Big Society project with a new workplace entitlement to paid volunteering leave, research from Jelf Employee Benefits finds.
In a survey of 226 employers, just over a quarter (27%) agreed that employers should be required to offer paid leave for employees to undertake placement duties for charities and other voluntary organisations. The majority (61%) opposed the idea, with a further 12% of employers undecided.
Commenting on these findings Steve Herbert, head of benefits strategy said:
“This unexpected manifesto commitment would give all employees three days leave on full pay to undertake volunteering work. Whilst the intention may be a worthy one, it overlooks the significant impact on employers. Workplace absence is generally accepted to be one of the largest employment costs for UK organisations, and this commitment would add further to this.
“The proposed change would also pose major challenges for employers in recording this new absence type, ensuring adequate cover by colleagues, and also the administration necessary to ensure that the voluntary work qualified to be rewarded.
“There is also some concern that the entitlement, which is only intended to apply to employers with more than 250 staff, would be extended to all organisations over time.”
Jelf Employee Benefits research also revealed that 28 percent of employers already offered paid voluntary leave to some (9%) or all (19%) of their employees.
Herbert continued:Â
“The two sets of responses show a distinct correlation. 27% of employers support the Government’s proposal, and a very similar number already offer some level of paid voluntary leave for employees. The Government may therefore face an uphill task persuading the majority of employers who don’t currently support volunteering that this is a sound and pragmatic policy.”
On the upside, Jelf also found that the manifesto commitment may lead to volunteering becoming a much more discussed issue, which in turn could increase the number of employers who actively support this benefit option of their own volition. Placements supported by employers can be an important component of an employee benefits offering, and can be used to strengthen employers’ recruitment and retention policies.
Steff joined the HRreview editorial team in November 2014. A former event coordinator and manager, Steff has spent several years working in online journalism. She is a graduate of Middlessex University with a BA in Television Production and will complete a Master's degree in Journalism from the University of Westminster in the summer of 2015.