Employee Benefits poll: Three-quarters (75%) of organisations offer their employees volunteering or charity days, according to a survey of Employee Benefits readers.
Conversely, one-quarter (25%) of respondents said they do not offer their employees volunteering or charity days.
Last month, Employee Benefits reported that restaurant chain Wagamama pledged to contribute 50,000 employee volunteer hours to help those in need. The internal pledge is to support the service’s work and is part of its commitment to assist its goal to recruit and train 1,000 volunteers in 2024.
In addition, through a partnership with Shout, a free 24/7 text messaging support service for anyone experiencing mental health struggles, Wagamama made an initial donation of £40,000, which is equivalent to 4,000 text conversations facilitated by Shout volunteers.
Thomas Heier, chief executive officer at Wagamama, said: “We are thrilled to partner with Shout as we aim to make a positive impact on mental health support across the UK. By joining forces with Shout, we look to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those facing mental health challenges. We hope that with our donation, volunteer recruitment efforts and internal pledge of support, we will positively contribute to the amazing work that Shout already does.”