The burnout antidote

Mental health is a critical component of employee wellness. Stressed, unfulfilled employees underperform and are more likely to hop jobs to work somewhere they find more rewarding. As HR professionals consider ways to take even better care of your employees—while attracting and retaining top talent—giving back is proving to be a powerful force for careers and communities.

Here are five key takeaways about the potential benefits of workplace volunteer programs.

1. Volunteerism builds your workplace culture, increasing employee engagement and satisfaction while boosting productivity. In an August 2024 article for Percent Pledge, founder and CEO Joel Pollick discussed the role of volunteerism in strengthening workplace bonds. “Volunteering often involves collaboration and teamwork, fostering social connections among employees,” Pollick wrote.
   These connections can be especially important in combating the isolation that can accompany today’s remote work landscape.
   
   Beyond social connections, focusing on a greater good can have even more foundational benefits. In a Business News Daily article updated in 2023, author Jordan Bishop referenced a Journal of Happiness study which found that volunteering makes people feel happier.
   
   “Employees who participate in volunteerism benefit from higher morale and an increase in overall happiness—and happier employees see significant productivity boosts,” Bishop wrote. “When employees feel good about being at work, they tend to work harder and take pride in their company.”
   
   
2. Volunteerism helps relieve your employees’ stress and improves their mental health. There is a strong correlation between health and altruistic activities. In the Percent Pledge article, Pollick referenced a McKinsey report identifying volunteerism as a “modifiable driver of health” that can improve mental and physical well-being. “Employees who engage in volunteer activities experience fewer symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress-induced pain compared to those who do not volunteer,” Pollick wrote. “This makes volunteerism an invaluable tool in fostering a supportive and resilient workplace.”
   
   
3. Volunteerism helps your employees build leadership and social skills. In the Business News article, Bishop also wrote about developing and sharing talents and skills. “Of companies offering employer-sponsored volunteerism, 73% offer skills-based volunteer programs that allow employees to practice and explore tangible skills to help their communities. Whether employees learn new skills or hone current talents, they’ll bring this expertise back to their organization along with higher self-worth and a higher value to the company.”
   
   Bishop went on to focus on leadership skills in particular. “Volunteering can help employees discover untapped talents and may even help them realize their leadership potential. Volunteer programs are an excellent platform for employees to discover a natural affinity to lead, especially when participating in activities that require sharp management and organizational skills. For the company, discovering new leaders is a valuable opportunity to strengthen the entire organization.”
   
   
4. Having an employee volunteer program in place helps your organization attract and retain talent, particularly among hard-to-retain millennials. An October 2024 article for Nectar noted that millennials—notorious job-hoppers whose high turnover rates cost the U.S. economy $30.5 billion annually—are particularly influenced by workplace volunteerism.
   
   Author Rebecca Noori wrote, “But millennials are also passionate about corporate social responsibility and seek out companies prioritizing social impact. A whopping 90% of millennials genuinely believe someone like them can make a difference in the world. By offering volunteer programs, companies attract their attention, foster loyalty, and empower them to contribute to meaningful causes.”
   
   These changing attitudes are driven by core beliefs that are reshaping employee behaviors. According to the 2024 Gen Z and Millennial Report from Deloitte, nearly all Gen Zs and millennials want purpose-driven work. “Having a sense of purpose is key to workplace satisfaction and well-being. And increasingly, these generations are willing to turn down assignments and employers based on their personal ethics or beliefs.”
   
   
5. Volunteerism positively reflects on your company’s brand. Of course, altruism is often the leading motivator for employers implementing an employee volunteer program. But corporate volunteerism can also be a great way to increase your organization’s positive brand awareness in your community and highlight what you offer to potential employees and customers. In addition, volunteer events or initiatives can generate positive local media coverage and provide engaging content to share on your organization’s (and for your employees to share on their own) social media platforms, in onboarding materials and through other avenues.