A POLICY FOR SUPPORTING
EMPLOYEE VOLUNTEERING
AND ASSOCIATED
MANAGERS GUIDANCE
Department of Human Resources
Issued June 2005 (Amended March 2016)
A POLICY FRAMEWORK FOR SUPPORTING EMPLOYEE VOLUNTEERING
INTRODUCTION
Employee volunteering is a way for an employer to encourage its employees to become more involved in their community as volunteers and to support them in those efforts.
Many organisations increasingly value the input of volunteers in the delivery of services.
They recognise the need to increase community involvement in their activities and promote active citizenship as a means of demonstrating their social responsibility and supporting their communities.
Supporting employee volunteering may cost Departments money but this must be met from existing budgets. It can be seen as a desirable investment in staff and also in the contribution our organisation makes to the District and Country.
DEFINITIONS
The following definitions have been adopted for this policy:
Volunteering
Volunteering is the commitment of time and energy for the benefit of society or people outside of the employees’ immediate family. It is undertaken freely and by choice, without concern for financial gain.
Employee Volunteering
This form of volunteering involves the organisation as a whole in ‘volunteering’ the time and effort of its staff. It therefore conforms with the definition above. While volunteers are not normally paid for their volunteering (and receive out-of-pocket expenses only), it is acknowledged that employees will be receiving their normal salary for some part of their volunteering opportunity (as agreed by their line manager).
BENEFITS
Organisational
A way of demonstrating corporate social responsibility
Contributes to Community Cohesion, New Deal priorities and other National and District-wide initiatives
A way for employees to develop skills and experience
Individual
Helps develop or improve competencies and skills e.g. leadership, interpersonal skills, project planning.
Can foster and enhance employee motivation
May improve morale and confidence
Useful in trying out different types of work to support any career change options the employee might have considered
May open the possibility of longer term volunteering opportunities.
May contribute to improved work/life balance approaches.
COUNCIL COMMITMENT TO ITS EMPLOYEES
Line managers are asked to be as flexible as possible in considering an employee’s request to volunteer. Approving these requests will always have to be subject to the nature of the employee’s work and the requirements of the service.
4.2 The Council will allow up to the equivalent of 2 days each year of paid time (pro rata for part-time staff) matched by the employee’s own time, to undertake approved volunteering activities. Assistant Directors will have the discretion to allow more work time up to a maximum of 5 days per year, matched by the employee’s own time.
4.3 The Council will also allow up to 1 day’s paid work time (for all staff including part time) for the completion of training that is necessary for a given volunteering activity and identified in the risk assessment.
4.4 Exceptionally employees volunteering as a Special Constable, who have completed their probationary training period, may have 1 day of paid time off for training each year in view of the new skills that can be transferred to the workplace on an on-going basis. Additionally up to 5 discretionary days of paid time each year for Special Constables to attend court as required
4.5 Members of the Reserve Forces ie Army, RAF Volunteer Reserve, Royal Naval Reserve and Royal Auxillary Air Force. Employees who are volunteer members of the Reserve and who attend annual training camp are entitled to additional paid leave.
For those on APTC terms where the employee’s normal annual leave entitlement is four weeks, the full two weeks required for service in the reserve will be granted as additional paid leave. Where the employees normal leave entitlement is more than four weeks the employee is entitled to one week’s additional paid leave and they can choose whether the second week is unpaid or taken from their annual leave entitlement.
For those on Craft and Manual Terms where the annual leave entitlement is five weeks or less the full two weeks required for service in the reserve will be granted as additional paid leave. Consideration will be given for approving further paid leave for additional training.
4.6 Managers will be encouraged to allow employees to adjust their work schedules to make it possible to undertake volunteering activities (where the needs of the service/ operational considerations allow) during normal working/business hours including permitting the breaking of ‘core time’ where necessary.
4.7 Managers will be encouraged to allow Council paid time volunteering which is
undertaken during non-standard working hours (usually week-ends or evenings) to
be counted as ordinary work time for flexi /TOIL hours (‘time off in lieu’) purposes.
4.8 Many activities covered by the generic title of "Public Duties" are currently acknowledged in conditions of service (e.g. magistrates, school governors). These volunteering arrangements are separate from those Public Duties agreements.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
The scheme is open to all employees of the Council, except:-
Teachers and those school based employees for whom such matters relating to their employment are under the control of school governing bodies under the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 (as amended from time to time).
Employees under the scope of the Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC) for Chief Officers.
5.2 It is proposed that time off with pay may be given to employees for:
Volunteering in schools through Children’s Services (Education) schemes or on
a community based project or volunteering opportunities offered within Bradford Council
Volunteering as a Special Constable under Employer Supported Policing or as a member of the Reserve Forces ie Army, RAF Volunteer Reserve, Royal Naval Reserve and Royal Auxillary Air Force.
Training that is required for a given volunteering activity.
5.3 Employees must contribute and record a matched amount of unpaid time in addition to the paid work time which the employer donates to the same volunteering activity. Part-time workers will have their volunteer time pro-rated to their normal working hours.
5.4 Normal travel expenses will be payable, where required, for the staff travel to and from their volunteering which is carried out in work time. Expenses will not be reimbursed by the Council for the volunteering which is carried out in the staff member’s personal time. The placement-providing organisation will however be encouraged to offer volunteers all out-of-pocket expenses (which is in line with Bradford’s Policy Statement of Good Practice in working with volunteers).Employees must avoid the risk of double claiming.
5.5 The Council insurance policy will only cover employees for the period of paid absence from work (which for insurance purposes would be classed as ‘official approved duties’). Volunteers must ensure they are covered by the placement-providing organisation’s own public liability insurance for the volunteering which they do in their own time.
5.6 Employees must always behave in a responsible manner, including applying all Health and Safety procedures.
5.7 As an Employee Volunteer, employees must uphold the values of, and properly represent the organisation. The Council reserves their right to withdraw volunteering opportunities to any employee who through his/her own actions, causes the employer to lose confidence in their ability to appropriately represent the Council as a supported volunteer.
6. ENCOURAGING EMPLOYEE VOLUNTEERING
6.1 Recognition of the contribution which employee volunteers make will be highlighted during annual Volunteers Week (celebrated by Volunteering England and promoted by many local and national volunteer-involving organisations).
6.2 Employee Volunteering opportunities will be publicised in internal newsletters, web pages and other methods.
6.3 The Council’s appraisal scheme recognises voluntary work as an appropriate way to gain additional skills and experience for professional or career development. The format of the appraisal documents will be modified to include Employee Volunteering.
6.4 All staff are able to discuss potential suitable Employee Volunteering opportunities with their line managers during supervision (or other suitable occasion) throughout the year.
APPENDIX A
EMPLOYEE VOLUNTEERING – MANAGERS GUIDANCE
Introduction
These guidelines are intended to assist managers in implementing the Employee Volunteering Policy and sections are cross-referenced to the Policy wherever possible.
Employee Volunteering should be managed in accordance with the district’s Employee Volunteering Policy Statement included above. Activities which are covered by the generic title of “Public Duties” are currently acknowledged in conditions of service e.g. magistrates, school governors (for further information see the associated policy framework above at 4.8).
Managers’ role and responsibilities
Assistant Directors will have ultimate discretion to approve an Employee Volunteering opportunity.
Employees wishing to volunteer should make an initial request on form EV1 (see Appendix B) to their line manager who will make a recommendation to the Assistant Director on the potential benefits of the volunteering opportunity, along with a projected assessment of the impact on the service of the employee’s absence from work.
Promotion and approval process of Employee Volunteering Opportunities
Identifying opportunities
Line managers and employees will be made aware of opportunities through the council website, internal newsletters and other means. The approved activities are listed in policy framework 5.2.
Line managers should consider Employee Volunteering as one of a range of possibilities for meeting development needs during appraisal (see policy framework 6.3).
Employee Volunteering can also be approved outside of the appraisal process e.g. where it’s identified as potentially beneficial by the employee during supervision etc. The opportunity may be something which the employee is interested in doing themselves rather than it linking directly to the appraisal goals or their work role.
Skills / experience identification:
Line managers can select a suitable opportunity in order to meet a particular need for example:
Taking part in project activity in order to develop leadership skills,
Volunteering on the reading scheme to build experience in communicating and establishing relationships with children,
Volunteering opportunities in schools and on community based projects may offer experience of working on a committee, public speaking, team leadership / team building etc which the employee would not gain from their work role.
Both line manager and employee should sign the form EV1 (please see the sample shown at the end of this document) having agreed all placement details after its approval from the Assistant Director. If the Assistant Director does not approve the opportunity, he / she should provide the employee with written reasons for this decision and outline what might be more acceptable.
The form should be kept by the line manager with other records (e.g. supervision notes, training and development record, annual leave records etc).
Line managers are encouraged to be as supportive as possible when considering situations where it is necessary for the employee to break core time i.e. where their chosen volunteering activity can only be performed within these hours (see policy framework 4.6 and 4.7).
Line managers will obviously need to ensure that any volunteering time allocated will not disrupt or adversely affect individual or team activity in the Department.
When making recommendations to Assistant Directors to extend the normal 2 matched days per annum up to a maximum of 5 matched days per annum the individual’s line manager should take into account the following:
The impact on service delivery (including over what period of time the five matched days will be spread ).
Improved employee motivation / well-being as a result of the volunteering activity.
The way benefits gained through the activity contribute to the goals identified during appraisal .
Withdrawing a volunteering opportunity
Line managers may recommend to an Assistant Director that a volunteering opportunity should be withdrawn (see policy framework 5.6 and 5.7) for the following reasons:
Employee’s not following the Council and / or other organisational health and safety requirements.
Employee’s not following the Council’s Employee Code of Conduct, including bringing the Council into disrepute
Employee’s not following the Council’s policies
The Assistant Director should provide reasons in writing to the employee for the Employee Volunteering opportunity being withdrawn.
Insurance
Line managers are asked to confirm on the EV1Form (please see the sample shown at the end of this document at Appendix B) that where employees are volunteering outside of Bradford Council (i.e. a voluntary /community based organisation) that suitable insurance cover is in place.
Risk Assessment
Line managers will sign the EV1 form (sample shown at the end of this document as Appendix B) to confirm that they are satisfied that a risk assessment has been completed. The risk assessment will be carried out by:
Bradford Council ie a Council manager in the relevant Department)
An appropriate person from the Community based project or other opportunity
Expenses
The line manager should authorise normal expenses (where requested) payable to employees through the normal procedures in use in their section / Service for volunteering done in ‘work’ time.
3) Accountability
Hours worked for an employee carrying out volunteering activity (both ‘work’ hours and matched hours) will be recorded on the employee’s flexi sheet.
Those employees who work fixed hours / shifts will record time worked on employee volunteering in accordance with normal time recording systems.
In addition all employees need to ensure that they complete the form EV2 (please see the sample shown at the end of the document as Appendix C) that they must get authorised by a suitable person (i.e. an appropriate person from the community based project or supervisor for other opportunities).
Training time (of up to one day per volunteering activity) will be recorded on the employee’s flexi sheet and a signing-in sheet will be completed by the employee at the training event.
The line manager will need to authorise the breaking of core time where the volunteering activity requires it (e.g. in schools) and the needs of the Service allow it (see Policy Framework 4.6)
Name
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Job title
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Work Address
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@bradford.gov.uk |
Telephone |
Description of Volunteering Activity
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With(circle or add as appropriate) |
– Bradford Council or a community based activity |
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How has the opportunity benefitted the individual |
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How has the opportunity benefitted the organisation |
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Please carry this discussion into appraisal/supervision |
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Date(s) of activity Expected duration
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Location of activity
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Team leader/ Supervisor and contact details
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Risk assessment by
Date: |
Signed |
Name |
Insurance cover checked |
Date
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By |
Any expenses Yes / no |
Details |
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Agreement |
Signed |
Date |
Applicant
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Line manager
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APPENDIX C
Employee Volunteering Activity – Record Sheet
Name:
Department:
Type of Volunteering Activity |
Location |
Date |
Time started |
Time completed |
Signed by supervisor/Team Leader |
Print Name |
Expenses claimed
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Training Received |
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Signed (Employee): Date:
Signed (Line Manager): Date:
Employee Volunteering
Version 2.2 / Dated March 2016 / Employee Volunteering and Managers Guidance
2 TRADE POLICY REVIEW BODY 9 OCTOBER
3 APPENDIX 1 SAFER CARING POLICY
3304986 JURISDICTIONAL POLICY ADVICE NO 200002 SAFETY
Tags: associated managers, the associated, policy, associated, employee, managers, supporting, volunteering