When engaged in the rigors of the work world, employees may find it difficult to carve out time for community causes. , believes that supporting workers’ favorite charities through Paid Volunteer Time Off (VTO) is a valuable benefit for both the organization and employees.

“It’s in our DNA,” said Jon Hansen, president of Loven Contracting. “Founder and CEO Mike Loven and his family are longtime community supporters. Mike established community service as a priority for Loven Contracting since the company was founded in 1985. We did so six years ago because we felt it was an integral part of our culture and it was important to formalize it.We want to do our part to create healthy and sustainable communities. We are thinking about it, and offering VTO is one of several ways to do that.”

At Goa, full-time employees receive eight hours of paid volunteer time each year. A part-time employee is given 4 to 6 hours of his time per year. “Our employees have benefited from this program for 16 years. They do their own volunteer work and we follow the interests of our associates They often go out in groups and use their volunteer time for team building and support.”

VTO ​​is a form of paid time off. Employees receive regular compensation for their time spent serving a charity or community organization. According to the 2019 Employee Benefits Survey by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), 26% of her U.S. employers offer paid time off for volunteer work.

In addition to other employee benefits such as health and dental insurance, Loven and Gore say VTO helps them recruit and retain the best employees. “It’s part of our overall benefits package and, collectively, helps our employees decide whether or not to work for Gore,” he said.

“You cannot have a healthy business in an unhealthy community. Volunteering has been proven to help improve communities. We also know that,” Hansen said, adding that research shows that volunteering reduces stress and supports both physical and mental health.

“Loven Contracting is more than just a construction company. We want to build a community,” said Hansen. A Loven Contracting employee recently handed out food and blankets at Kinsey Elementary and volunteered at the Flagstaff Family Food Center to help several mobile his food his box delivery sites around the city.

“This program is offered nationwide and is more utilized in Flagstaff than in many other areas,” Kettering said. She says her associate volunteer work in Gore includes cleaning up fire and flood damage, chopping wood, food banks her boxing, teaching her STEM concepts in classrooms, and cleaning highways. says.

“Our employees support the Flagstaff Running Series each year, which benefits community organizations such as Flagstaff’s Big Brothers Big Sisters and Children’s Health Center of Northern Arizona Health Care,” said Hansen. . “One of the great things about the high level of employee volunteerism that he has is that as a company, we are better aware of the needs that exist around our community and have plans to meet those needs. It is possible.”

Both organizations say they encourage employees to engage in leadership positions in their communities by joining their boards because of their volunteer-supporting vibe.

“Volunteering is a powerful way for associates to give back to their communities,” says Kettering. FBNMore

Betsy Bruner, FBN

Courtesy photo: Loven Contracting employee Jennifer Del Giorgio boxes packaged desserts on a mobile food box delivery site.