Community Involvement

DeidreFR5

Sorry, but this is really long.We are starting plans for our 150th anniversary next year. The committee is planning to do a lot of community involvement activities and hopes to involve every employee in something. I'm playing the devil's advocate and would like feedback. The types of activities are painting houses, planting/ maintaining flowers, etc. Activities that would take place during working time, after hours and weekends. I have two concerns with non-exempt people volunteering (1:when your boss says it would be really good if you volunteered - is it really volunteering?), 2:shouldn't they be paid for their time? ex. If we ask someone to give up their Saturday in the Bank's name to paint at a school, don't we need to pay them?

Part two: what types of community service activities do your companies do?

Thanks for the help.

Shadowfax

I think there are two things to consider, at least, one philosphical, the other legal. What is the philosphy of what yhou want to do? If it really is community involvement, then just leave it truly voluntary. If you pay them, it isn't voiluntary, and to me it loses some of its effectiveness as a feel good do good operation. Legally, when is a volunteer not a volunteer? When he has to do something for his employer. If you make involvement in any way a condition of employment, he isn't a vol and must be paid. Under the FLSA, you can pay stipends and minimal amounts to volunteers w/o making them employees. You could consider accumulating points leading to some prizes: a cruise, a weekend away, etc. I havn't given this a lot of thought, but my inclination would be to do it w/o paying for them, making sure everyone understands they don't have to participate, and spend my $$ on the projects (tools, paint, parts etc) and provide nice lunches and other incentives as you go. Just my thoughts. Good idea thought though, I really like it. Gives me some ideas. Thanks.

dchr9203

If you specifically ask an employee to participate in an event, its work time. If you say, we have this event and our employees are welcome to volunteer, and they step forward unsolicited, then its non-paid. I agree with the other poster. Let the employees volunteer, then provide the equipment and tools and reward with prizes, nice lunches, etc, with the money that would have normally been spent on payroll.

DeidreFR5

Thanks, what I worry about is some of our managers asking for volunteers and having employees interpret it as not voluntary. Some of our managers, without trying, can come across bullyish. I don't want what should be a positive to turn into a negative - we made them do it. Thanks again.

rad

I'll answer your part two. We have a website devoted to volunteer opportunities and our largest campaign is literacy. We have book sales, read to disadvantaged children, teach adult literacy courses, baby sit the for adults taking literacy courses (at the educational institutions site), mentor inner city youths, and have book drives during the holiday season.

Our employees were major contributers as phone bank operators during the post 9/11 phone-a-thon.

hrbanker

This sounds a lot like the United Way's Day of Caring. We encourage employees to participate and pay them their regular wages for painting, sorting clothes, cleaning and other tasks at United Way agencies.

I really like the idea of promoting the company while helping the community.

Don D

If you have a Ronald McDonald House in the community, they can always use volunteers on any basis. My wife volunteers every Tuesday afternoon after she gets off work. Cleaning commodes, scrubbing floors, washing walls, painting, sorting, changing linens, etc.

deniseE

I understand your concern about your managers. I would make sure any "marketing" materials provided to the ee's regarding these events state clearly that there will be NO business impact on your participation or lack thereof...and make sure your managers are aware that this cannot even be a consideration for promotion/evaluation.

Most employees will appreciate the time to "give something back"...and be glad to participate...I also like the prize idea suggested in the first post.

Some companies have great success with these types of programs... Good Luck!

gismo

I work for a Bank as well, we have help usher at our community theater, and I am looking into (pulled out of our daily paper today) voluntering at our local Salvation Army. They put an ad in the paper looking for volunteers to prepare, serve, clean up their lunch meal.