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FACTSHEET - AUSTRIA

Brief description of the situation of EV There is no data on global EV available and a study of the Austrian Social Ministry published in 2010 “Volunteering in Austria” is the only example identified where CSR and Volunteering is mentioned in the Austrian perspective. The volunteer sector in Austria has a long tradition and borders are often blurred between volunteering and employee volunteering. This is especially the case of local Humanitarian Aid where the voluntary fire brigade, emergency services including Red Cross and alpine rescue services belong to the Non-Profit Sector and rely largely on volunteers. In cases of emergency the employer releases the volunteers for the time of their commitment with full pay. This trend for local volunteering is reflected in EV programs as it is seen as an easy way to achieve “nice” results in terms of achieving a positive image. International EV programs are mainly implemented by large global corporations – often with headquarters in the US (e.g. IBM, Microsoft). International Austrian companies are generally interested in EV without existing structures, guidelines etc. and without a special focus on Humanitarian Aid. In general it seems that global EV is often seen as a mechanism for leadership development and cross-cultural team building. This website is an important source of information on volunteering in Austria for both volunteers and organisations/centres seeking volunteers. (www.freiwilligenweb.at) Distribution of the Survey’s sample: % of employers involved in EV and in EV in HA

Main type of activities

-Partnership: A series of volunteering activities developed in partnership with a volunteer-involving organisation such as special constables in the police force -Pro bono: Using professional skills such as legal, accounting and marketing expertise to support social organisations without payment -Volunteering Day: employees at all locations where a company works honor a day of service to community activities.; International volunteering involving deployment to a different country.

Volunteering during Personal time Vs Working time

In most cases, the EV is carried out during working time or takes a ‘mixed’ approach using both personal and working time.

17%

40%

60%

83%

No EV EV No EV in HA EV in HA

Legal frameworks affecting Employee Volunteering

Not available

http://www.freiwilligenweb.at/

EV in HA

• According to the field survey, 83% of employers are involved in Employee Volunteering. Within this percentage, 60% is involved in some kind activities related to Employee Volunteering in Humanitarian Aid.

• Main kind of EV in HA support:

Deployment of skilled staff in emergency situations; Deployment of volunteers for prevention, Disaster Risk Reduction and climate change adaptation;

• Benefits/motivation

Developing employees’ skills; New market access or market consolidation; Ethical and philanthropic demands from different stakeholders

• Barriers/constraints

International support from the board Funding; Difficult Matching and Security of the volunteers

• Reasons why employers involved in Employee Volunteering are not involved in EV in HA

“It would be very risky for our employees”; “We do not know if our employees would be useful in that

context.”

• Support that would facilitate implementing an Employee Volunteering in Humanitarian NGOs

Not available

WAXENEGGE, A. (2009) VALUE: Austria National Report, Center for Continuing Education, University of Graz CEV; CODESPA “The 2013 preparatory Action for the EU Aid Volunteers Services. Lot 3. Employee Volunteering”

References

FACTSHEET – BELGIUM

Brief description of the situation of EV Employee volunteering is not widespread in Belgium although it is more prolific amongst the international and English speaking community of companies and NGOs. There are however a number of initiatives being developed that indicate that it is a growing phenomenon and that there is increasing interest from both employers and volunteer organisations. An Engage Key Cities project has been implemented in and the organisation Time 4 Society is implementing an increasing number of projects. http://www.time4society.com/tijdgeven/

Belgium is also the location for the main activities of the initiative “Solidarite” designed to encourage EU institution staff to volunteer and engage with the community where they live and work.

Distribution of the Survey’s sample: % of employers involved in EV and in EV in HA


- Volunteering Day: employees at all locations where a company works contribute a day of service to community activities. - Partnerships: A series of volunteering activities developed in partnership with a volunteer-involving organisations. - Individual Volunteering: Individuals choose their own volunteering activities and carry them out either in their own time or

during volunteering leave provided by the employer


64% employees volunteer during their working time

36% volunteer during working time and personal time

33%81%

25%

67%



In Belgium, the law on Volunteering states that employees can undertake voluntary activities where and when they want, without asking the authorisation of their employers. There are no formalities required. Evidence points to more private companies encouraging employees to undertake voluntary activities during working hours.

EV in HA

Employee Volunteering in Humanitarian Aid initiatives is not a common activity in Belgium apart from several multinationals that support humanitarian organisations. There are not a large number of NGOs active in Humanitarian Aid field in Belgium although there are quite a number of development-focused organisations. (International NGOs / networks registered in Belgium but operating at a European or global perspective have not been taken into account in this study.)

• According to the field survey, 67% of employers are involved in Employee Volunteering. Within this percentage,

25% is involved in some kind activities related to Employee Volunteering in Humanitarian Aid.

• Main kinds of EV in HA (EMPLOYERS):

Deployment of skilled staff in emergency situations

Cross-border volunteering in the aftermath of a crisis

Pro bono

• Motivation of EV in HA

EMPLOYERS: Ethical demands and development of volunteer’s skills

• Kind of support that could facilitate the implementation of Employee Volunteering

Clear status, no income loss, no disadvantages stepping into the program, a good settlement for

the social rights and insurance. Clear agreements and assistance for companies to ‘re-use’ the

skills and competencies that an employer gained through it.

• Barriers/Constraints

EMPLOYERS: Security of volunteers and Funding

NGOs: Lack of information.


They do not know if their employees would be useful in that context

It would be very risky for their employees

“Volunteering Infrastructure in Europe” (2012). European Volunteer Center 10 Clés pour le volontariat en entreprise (2011). Business and Society Belgium ONG et entreprises en Belgique: Guide pratique pour une collaboration fructueuse (2006). Business and society

Belgium

References

FACTSHEET – BULGARIA

Brief description of the situation of EV A study by the United Nations Global Compact and Bul¬garian NGOs (2007) on “Corporate Responsibili¬ty within the Bulgarian Context” established that “giving and socially responsible practices are evolving slowly from activities of limited scope, unclear focus and fragmentation into more high profile and structured activities”. This seems to have been the result of economic development, the growing number of large foreign companies and the stronger capacity of part of the non-governmental sector enabling it to support business better.

Additionally, many companies do not make a clear distinction between giving, sponsorship and socially responsi¬ble activities, & employee volunteering. It is noted that EYV2011 acted as catalyst to change opinions and approaches in volunteering and the influence extended to an increase in the number and impact in employee volunteering schemes in Bulgaria.



Volunteering Day: employees at all locations where a company works honor a day of service to community activities. Fundraising initiatives: Volunteering which aim is to support different fundraising initiatives (e.g. events organisation,

awareness campaigns, etc.) for NGOs.


30% employees volunteer during their working time 70% volunteer during working time and personal time

58% 91%

9%

42%



There are no legal framework affecting employee volunteering and any official data in Bulgaria.

EV in HA

There are very few experiences of EV in HA and there is general lack of knowledge of EV opportunities in the HA sector from the employer perspective. As in other Central European countries Employee Volunteering in Humanitarian Aid in Bulgaria is a limited phenomenon. Bulgarian employers usually focus their CSR strategies on their own community and it is difficult to find humanitarian NGOs in the country other than the branches of the large international HA organisations and networks.

• According to the field survey, 9% of employers are involved in some kind of employee volunteering in humanitarian aid initiatives as opposed to 42% who are involved in other types of employee volunteering projects.

• Main kinds of EV in HA Fundraising initiatives

Deployment of volunteers for disaster prevention (not in an emergency situation)

Deployment of volunteers in the aftermath of a crisis

• Barriers/Constraints Security of the volunteers

Working with the employers

Funding

• Reasons why employers involved in Employee Volunteering are not involved in EV in HA We have never thought about the possibility

We do not know if our employees would be useful in that context

• Support that would facilitate implementing Employee Volunteering in Humanitarian NGOs More information/training on how to implement Employee Volunteering

Time disposition and flexibility of the volunteers

Legal framework on volunteering

"Volunteering Infrastructure in Europe" (2012). European Volunteer Centre Developing Employee Volunteering-A joint venture between volunteer organizations and companies (2009).

European Volunteer Centre. http://www.bcnl.org/en/index.html (Bulgarian Center for not profit Law)

References

FACTSHEET – CYPRUS

Brief description of the situation of EV

Defining and exploring the employee volunteering landscape in Cyprus is a hard task, considering that volunteering in Cyprus remains not only an under-researched topic. Volunteering in Cyprus reflects a concept which takes on board a diverse array of activities undertaken by individuals, groups or organisational structures.

The private sector in Cyprus also has a long history of direct and indirect involvement with the voluntary sector. Under the concept and ideology of Corporate Social Responsibility, especially in the last few years, the private sector has financed volunteer related projects or programmes, engaged in charity and fund-raising campaigns, cultural and social activities and events, etc.

In general, Employee Volunteering phenomenon is increasing in Cyprus but it the absence of well-prepared volunteer organizations is a barrier in the country.


Main type of activities Volunteering day employees at all locations where a company works honor a day of service to community activities.

Fundraising initiatives: Volunteering which aim is to support different fundraising initiatives (e.g. events organisation, awareness campaigns, etc.) for volunteer organizations. Volunteering during Personal time Vs Working time 50% employees volunteer during their working time 25% volunteer during working time and personal time 25% employees volunteer in personal time


There is not a concrete legal framework affecting EV in Cyprus. The legal framework for volunteering reflects the strategic concerns and decisions of the Republic of Cyprus and safeguards the rights and liberties of a democratic context. The major legal piece that provides the basis for volunteering is found in the Constitution of the Republic of Cyprus. Specifically Article 21(1) under the “Fundamental Rights and Liberties” section of the Constitution, safeguards that “every person has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly.

EV in HA

There are not relevant experiences in employee volunteering in Cyprus, so this part of the analysis is focused in the barriers perceived by the employers with experience in local employee volunteering. Employee Volunteering in Humanitarian Aid seems to be a so far reality in the country.

• According the field survey, there are not employers involved in some kind of employee volunteering in humanitarian aid initiative in front of 83% who are involved in other typology of employee volunteering projects. On the other side, employers involved in employee volunteering in Estonia are no interested in employee volunteering in Humanitarian Aid (they have responded “no interest” or “I don’t know” to the question “Are you interested in employee volunteering in Humanitarian Aid?”.

• Main kind of EV in HA Not available

• Barriers/Constrains Not available

• Reasons Why employers involved in Employee Volunteering are not involved in EV in HA

We have never thought about the possibility


It would be very costly

• Support that would facilitate implementing an Employee Volunteering in Humanitarian NGOs Not available

“Volunteering Infrastructure in Europe” (2012). European Volunteer Center

References

FACTSHEET – CROATIA


The general impression is that the EV activities in Croatia are increasing although there is no specific data to support this observation. Over the last 3-4 years an increasing number of companies are implementing EV activities. Some of them have EV programmes that are a systematic part of the company policy. There is an absence of official data about EV relevant for the national level but at local level several initiatives can be found:

- Research on corporative volunteering: “Corporative volunteering – challenges and possibilities for Volunteer Centre” (2010) and research for the Zagreb area, related to the plans and needs for the development of the volunteering in public institutions, CSOs and companies (2007).

- Research on corporative volunteering in Primorsko-goranska County (2009), (SMART) - “Moj posao” (www.moj-posao.net) – on-line research among the Croatian employers and employees about EV (2008)



Volunteering Day: Employees at all locations where a company works contribute a day of service to community activities.


Not available

60% 90%

10%

40%



The 2007 Law on volunteering in Croatia has encouraged other organisations (particularly social care institutions) to open their doors to volunteers. Furthermore, there are also individual cases of local, regional, and national public bodies involving volunteers. However, the above described Law does not regulate Employee Volunteering.

EV in HA

Employee Volunteering in Humanitarian Aid is not a common activity in Croatia. Employers usually focus their Corporate Social Responsibility strategies on their own community. The awareness and engagement of society (and companies) with HA is smaller than other European countries. • According to the field survey, 40% of employers are involved in Employee Volunteering. Within this percentage,


• Main kind of EV in HA

Fundraising initiatives

Deployment of volunteers for disaster prevention (not in an emergency)

Cross-border volunteering in the aftermath of a crisis

• Barriers/Constrains

Difficult matching between our needs and skills of employee volunteers

Funding

Security of the volunteers


It would be very risky for our employees

We think it would be limited to a few employees


Long-term partnerships with an organization

High level of technical skills from the volunteers

Time disposition and flexibility of the volunteers

“Volunteering Infrastructure in Europe” (2012). European Volunteer Center Developing Employee Volunteering-A joint venture between volunteer organizations and companies (2009).

European Volunteer Center. Corporative volunteering – challenges and possibilities for Volunteer Centre” (2010) Corporative volunteering in Primorsko-goranska County (2009). SMART Moj-Posaro [www.moj-posao.net]

References

FACTSHEET – CZECH REPUBLIC


Employee volunteering is quite a new phenomenon in the Czech Republic. However, significant development and progress has already been made. In accordance with the rise of CSR recognition, the importance of employee volunteering both on the part of NGOs and companies has markedly increased. Employee volunteering has turned out to be an issue of great importance for companies and in some cases voluntary work has also become part of regular NGOs functioning.

Recently some new trends in CSR and employee volunteering programmes appeared in the Czech Republic:

- Companies have reached a more complex level of thinking when offering help to NGOs. Nowadays their aim is to invest into a corporate company culture, offering benefits to their employees, increase their general loyalty and share skills and know-how with the community.

- Employers tend to be more active in the particular activities that are closely related to their business operations, e.g. banks supporting financial education.



Volunteering Day: employees at all locations where a company works honor a day of service to community activities. Partnerships: A series of volunteering activities developed in partnership with a volunteer-involving organisation such as

special constables in the police force.



33%83%

17%

67%



Volunteering is increasingly important in the business sector but there are no legal frameworks affecting

employee volunteering.

EV in HA

“Volunteering Infrastructure in Europe” (2012). European Volunteer Centre Developing Employee Volunteering-A joint venture between volunteer organizations and companies (2009).

European Volunteer Centre. HEST [www.hest.cz] DONORS FORUM [www.donorsforum.cz]

References

As in other Central European countries, Czech employers usually focus their CSR strategies on their own community. The awareness and engagement of the society (and companies) with HA is smaller than other European countries. Many corporate leaders don’t see the added value of international or HA volunteering and there is a lack of understanding of the links and impacts with their business.

• According the field survey, 17% of employers are involved in some kind of employee volunteering in

humanitarian aid initiative as opposed to 67% who are involved in other types of employee volunteering projects.

• Main kind of EV in HA:

o EMPLOYERS: Pro bono

Cross-border volunteering for disaster prevention (not in an emergency situation)

o NGO Fundraising initiatives

Deployment of volunteers in the aftermath of a crisis

• Kind of support provided to employee volunteers:

Specific training

Logistic support for volunteer activities in the field

Post volunteering linkages

• Benefits/Motivation of EV in HA

o EMPLOYERS: New market access and development of volunteer’s skills o NGO: Establishment of long term support from the employers and specific skills of the

employees. • Barriers/Constraints

o EMPLOYERS: Security of volunteers and Internal support from the board o NGO: Difficult matching between our needs and skills of employee volunteers and working with

the employers in general

• Reasons why employers involved in Employee Volunteering are not involved in EV in HA o They have never thought about the possibility

FACTSHEET – DENMARK

Brief description of the situation of EV Volunteering is a very important part of Danish culture and forms a critical part of the way the society is structured. In this regard, it would be more accurate to refer to it as the first sector, rather than the third sector, because the welfare society that is so central to Danish culture was developed in close cooperation with, and was inspired by, civil society organisations. Civil society is found in all sectors and spheres of Danish society.

Some of the most relevant actors in the field of EV in Denmark are larger (international) companies, which often have a CSR-strategy including focus on EV (e.g. Scandia, IBM). These companies often cooperate with larger (international) NGOs (e.g. Red Barnet/Save the Children, Røde Kors/Red Cross, Dansk Flygtninge Hjælp/Danish Refugee Council, Kræftens Bekæmpelse/the Danish Cancer Society). The practice of EV is increasing. More and more companies are beginning to incorporate EV in their CSR-policies.


Main type of activities Skills-Based Volunteering: This type of volunteering meets a need for particular skills and can take place in a wide range of

scenarios, including practical challenges and individual volunteering Pro bono: Using professional skills such as legal, accounting and marketing expertise to support social organisations without

payment


In most cases, the EV is carried out During working time; During employee’s personal time and Mixed time (both personal – working time)

12,5%

29%

71%87,5%



In Denmark, in October 2010 the Danish government published a national strategy for civil society. The government’s ambitions were to strengthen a more systematic involvement of civil society and voluntary organisations in social work. A specific call to cooperation with companies and public employers is made. The strategy focuses on four areas: 1) strengthen innovation and development in social work; 2) encourage active citizenship and a volunteer culture; 3) strengthen the work of voluntary organisations; 4) strengthen the cooperation between municipalities, companies and voluntary organisations. Apart from mentioning companies in the National strategy there is not a concrete measure to encourage Employee Volunteering.

EV in HA

• According to the field survey, 87,5% of employers are involved in Employee Volunteering. Within this percentage, 71% is involved in some kind activities related to Employee Volunteering in Humanitarian Aid.


Deployment of skilled staff in emergency situations;

Deployment of volunteers for prevention,

Disaster Risk Reduction and climate change adaptation;

• Benefits/motivations

EMPLOYERS: Developing employees’ skills; New market access or market consolidation; Ethical

and philanthropic demands from different stakeholders

NGO: Not Available

• Barriers/Constrains EMPLOYERS: International support from the board

NGO: Not available


It would take too much time from their employees;

We think it would be limited to a few employees;

It is not under their responsibility (e.g. volunteering activities under our responsibility are limited to

a national level)

Art. “The National Civil Society Strategy in Denmark” Center for frivilligt socialt arbejde (CFSA) “The National Volunteer Centre in Denmark” Art. “VOLUNTEERING INFRACTURE IN DENMARK”

References

FACTSHEET – ESTONIA


According to the outcomes of a European Project called “Empowering Private Sector Employees through Volunteering” that took place in Estonia and other European countries only a third of the companies had any knowledge of Employee Volunteering Programmes and only twelve companies (out of 100) had a programme set up. These are mostly companies with more than 300 employees. The most popular target groups for these volunteering programmes are children and youth. Respondents also noted that homeless people, people with disabilities and drug addicts are also popular target groups amongst businesses. Generally, the programmes involve manual labour and are either individual or a team effort and employees also have the possibility of choosing which NGO to volunteer with. Half of the companies that do not have a Corporate Volunteering Programme in place think that it would be feasible to start one. It also emerged that the main benefits they see such programmes as having are the fact that they help the community, public relations and employee satisfaction. Distribution of the Survey’s sample: % of employers involved in EV and in EV in HA

Main type of activities Volunteering Day: Employees at all locations where a company works contribute a day of service to community activities. Fundraising initiatives: Volunteering with the aim to support different fundraising initiatives (e.g. event organisation, awareness

campaigns, etc.) for NGOs.


Not available

50% 100%50%



There is no specific law which addresses volunteering or is concerned with individual volunteers in Estonia.

There are no financial support schemes and incentives to engage individuals in voluntary work. However,

EV in HA

Relevant experiences in employee volunteering in HA have not been identified in Estonia, so this part of the analysis is focused on the barriers perceived by the employers with experience in local employee volunteering. • According to the field survey there are no employers involved in some kind of employee volunteering in

humanitarian aid initiative as opposed to 50% who are involved in other types of employee volunteering projects. The data collected indicates that employers involved in employee volunteering in Estonia are not interested in employee volunteering in Humanitarian Aid. Respondents answered “no interest” or “I don’t know” to the question “Are you interested in employee volunteering in Humanitarian Aid?”.

• Barriers/Constraints o EMPLOYERS: Lack of training and lack of innovative initiatives to establish EV schemes

• Reasons why employers involved in Employee Volunteering are not involved in EV in HA o We do not know if our employees would be useful in that context o It would be very risky for our employee o We do not think our employees would be interested in this kind of initiative

• Main kind of EV in HA Not available

“Volunteering Infrastructure in Europe” (2012). European Volunteer Center Empowering Private Sector Employees through Volunteering (EPSEV): 2011. Final Report of the European Project. What Does Business Think about Corporate Social Responsibility? ATTITUDES AND PRACTICES IN ESTONIA, LATVIA

AND LITHUANIA (2006). Enabling a Better Environment for CSR in CEE Countries Project. World Bank

References

FACTSHEET – FINLAND

According to a report of Finnish Civil Society (2006), the voluntary sector accounts for the majority of organisations involving volunteers (99%), with only a very small proportion of voluntary activity reported in the public or private sector (both under 1%) There is no consistent available data about EV in Finland. Existing resources are to be found either in FIBS and Kansalaisareena.Finnish society has is a strong tradition of volunteer work overall, there is not such a tradition of EV eventhough it is clearly an increasing phenomenon. Larger companies, US based and influenced by American culture on EV, normally have EV programmes and increasingly there are EV programs in some other companies including Finnish Family Business; also in NGO’s and even within the public sector. The trend of EV in companies and organizations is increasing in Finland. Some public bodies such as the Ministry of Interior run their own EV programmes as well. (http://www.kierratyskeskus.fi/in_english)

Relevant actors:

• FIBS, http://www.fibsry.fi/fi/fibs25-en Supports EV activity for its our member companies in Finland through EEVA (EU) competition and through general CSR knowledge sharing. Also facilitates company-NGO dialogue through a specific portal, which was supported by IBM.

• Citizen Forum. Kansalaisareena, NGO supporting business and non-business Volunteering activity in Finland



Volunteering Day: employees at all locations where a company works honor a day of service to community activities.; International volunteering involving deployment to a different country.


In most cases, the EV is carried out during working time .

12,5%

29%

71%87,5%




There is no specific legal framework for volunteering in Finland. No code of conduct exists at the moment but there are plans to create one. There are also some implications in terms of taxation for voluntary organisations if skilled healthcare professionals, such as doctors, volunteer their time to carry out activities related to their profession.

http://www.kierratyskeskus.fi/in_english

EV in HA

• According to the field survey, 87,5% of employers are involved in Employee Volunteering. Within this percentage, 71% is involved in some kind activities related to Employee Volunteering in Humanitarian Aid.

• Main kind of EV in HAt: Deployment of skilled staff in emergency situations; Deployment of volunteers for prevention, Disaster Risk Reduction and climate change adaptation;


EMPLOYERS: Developing employees’ skills; New market access or market consolidation; Ethical and philanthropic demands from different stakeholders

NGO: Provide support for companies that want to establish EV programmes, support the organization of the EV programmes for the companies.

• Barriers/ Constrains

EMPLOYERS: International support from the board NGO: Lack of partners, Time, Money. Lack of knowldege of the pros of EV in HA.

• Reasons Why employers involved in Employee Volunteering are not involved in EV in HA Not available


Not available

VOLUNTEERING INFRACTURE IN FINLAND Jenni Sademies Project Manager of VETY - Volunteering in Nonprofit Organizations –project “ Letters”

References

FACTSHEET – FRANCE

Brief description of the situation of EV In France, the concept of employee volunteering and the support of companies for civil associations are quite recent. This is largely due to the specific French culture and the traditional division of roles between the private and the public sphere. There are several factors that have significantly increased enterprises’ involvement in community activities: The foreign influences deriving from the internationalisation of big companies; the development of company foundations; and the specific ‘Alliagon’ law, which implies tax relief for companies that engage in community activities or financially contribute to civil society organisations. Distribution of the Survey’s sample: % of employers involved in EV and in EV in HA


Volunteering Day: Employees at all locations where a company works contribute a day of service to community activities. Pro bono: Using professional skills such as legal, accounting and marketing expertise to support social organisations. Partnerships: A series of volunteering activities developed in partnership with a volunteer-involving organisations



21%81%

19%

79%



In order to facilitate the participation of volunteers in France the law on Special ‘Representation Days Off’ for Volunteers was adopted. This law provides the legal framework allowing employees to take up to nine days off per year for representing their associations, which can be divided into half-days. The employer should give these free days but is not obliged to pay the employee for the time he/she is away from their normal employment duties. For these unpaid hours, the associative representative receives a standard grant.

he legal frameworks for full time volunteering “voluntariat” make long term volunteer commitments from 6 to 24 months that can often involve international deployment more possible for people in employment. .

EV in HA

Employee Volunteering in Humanitarian Aid is not a general activity in France but it is one of the European countries where more cases can be found, due to the fact that are many Humanitarian NGOs in the country that facilitate this kind of employee volunteering to French employers (both, public employers and private employers).


• Main kind of EV in HA o EMPLOYERS:

Pro bono Cross-border volunteering in the aftermath of a crisis NGO Fundraising initiatives

o NGOs: Fundraising initiatives Pro bono Cross-border volunteering in the aftermath of a crisis

• Benefits/Motivations of EV in HA

o EMPLOYERS: Development of volunteer’s skills and Positive branding o NGOs: Get access to other resources from the employer


o EMPLOYERS: Security of volunteers and Internal support from the board o NGO: Difficult matching between our needs and skills of employee volunteers


o It would be very risky for our employees o We do not know if our employees would be useful in that context


o More information/training on how to implement Employee Volunteering o More information about where to find the right partner


European Volunteer Center. Entreprises et associations : analyse d’un partenariat en construction (2010). France Bénévolat

References

FACTSHEET – GERMANY


For companies in Germany employee volunteering is often standard business practice that plays an ever-increasing role. In the joint study of Roland Berger and the American Chamber of Commerce in Germany (2011), social (25.8%) and educational (21.9%) activities are the fields that receive the most support from employee volunteers. The connection to the local community is very important to companies. 30.2% of the companies are engaged in employee volunteering activities that serve to meet the needs of children and teenagers. Most of the companies surveyed in this research viewed management participation and support plus appreciation of volunteer involvement as the most critical requirements. The biggest obstacle is employees' lack of time. This shows that companies recognise corporate volunteering as their own social responsibility. Distribution of the Survey’s sample: % of employers involved in EV and in EV in HA


Volunteering Day: Employees at all locations where a company works contribute a day of service to community activities.

Skills-Based Volunteering: This type of volunteering meets a need for particular skills and can take place in a wide range of scenarios, including practical challenges and individual volunteering.

Partnerships: A series of volunteering activities developed in partnership with a volunteer-involving organisations.

Volunteering during Personal time Vs Working time 65% employees volunteer during their working time 35% volunteer during working time and personal time

32%79%

21%

68%



In Germany, the legal provisions relevant to volunteering can be found in different legal texts. For instance, this includes the Social Codes (Sozialgesetzbücher) II and XII – volunteering by unemployed or welfare recipients, VIII – open youth and street work, the Civil Code (Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch) – public insurance for volunteers, the Income Tax Code (Einkommensteuer Gesetzbuch) – definition of charitable, non-profit status of bodies, rules for tax-free expense allowance for volunteers.

EV in HA

In spite of the fact that International Employee Volunteering is a common activity for German employers, Employee Volunteering in Humanitarian Aid is not a general activity in Germany. Despite this limited activity is however one of the European countries where more cases could be found (German multinationals supporting humanitarian organisations).




o EMPLOYERS: Deployment of skilled staff in emergency situations Cross-border volunteering in the aftermath of a crisis NGO Fundraising initiatives


o EMPLOYERS: Development of volunteer’s skills and Staff motivation

• Barriers/Constrains o EMPLOYERS: Security of volunteers and Internal support from the board o NGO: Difficult matching between our needs and skills of employee volunteers




o External financial support or incentives o More information about where to find the right partner

• Reasons Why Humanitarian NGOs are not involved in Employee Volunteering

o Lack of resources to manage this kind of volunteering (time, money, etc.)

o Lack of knowledge about how to manage Employee Volunteering

“Volunteering Infrastructure in Europe” (2012). European Volunteer Center Corporate Volunteering in Germany (2011). Roland Berger. AMCHAM Germany Developing Employee Volunteering-A joint venture between volunteer organizations and companies (2009).

European Volunteer Center Corporate Citizenship in Germany and a Transatlantic Comparison with the USA (2007). Centrum für Corporate

Citizenship Deutschland

References

FACTSHEET – GREECE


Volunteering are rather new social phenomena in Greek public discourse. They arose during the “global associational revolution” of the 1980s and the spread of civil society’s ideas and ideals. Before, volunteering was a practice, almost exclusively, of the Orthodox Church and traditional organisations like the Red Cross and the Scouts.

Private Foundations and for-profit organisations, in a corporate social responsibility (CSR) framework, provide resources to non-profit organisations, mainly by the form of economic support and less in giving time.

In general, Employee Volunteering phenomenon is increasing in Greece: According with the Hellenic Network for CSR, 30% of their members are active in employee volunteering programmes (125 members: businesses and business associations).



Volunteering day employees at all locations where a company works honor a day of service to community activities. Fundraising initiatives: Volunteering which aim is to support different fundraising initiatives (e.g. events organisation,

awareness campaigns, etc.) for volunteer organizations. Volunteering during Personal time Vs Working time20

80% volunteer during working time and personal time 20% employees volunteer in personal time

37%

60%

40%

63%



There is no legal framework on volunteering in Greece. Current legislation concerns only non-profit and non-governmental entities, and is not systematic and often contradictory. Different rules and regulations that govern relations between the state and third sector do not emphasise volunteering.

EV in HA

According with the Hellenic Network for CSR, the perception of employee volunteering in humanitarian aid is that there is not much action on this issue; local needs are higher in the agenda than EV in HA because of the crisis. In addition of some global multinationals based in Greece, there are not relevant experiences in employee volunteering in the country. Employee Volunteering in Humanitarian Aid seems to be a so far reality in Greece.



Pro bono Fundraising initiatives with Employee Volunteering support (not in an emergency situation)


EMPLOYERS: Developing employees’ skills and Ethical demands


Security of volunteers Internal support from the board


We have never thought about the possibility We do not know if our employees would be useful in that context It would be very costly


References

FACTSHEET – HUNGARY


The perception of volunteering has seen significant change for the better in the last ten years. Moreover, the EYV2011 enhanced this opinion change and overall had a tremendous positive impact in Hungary. Employee volunteering is quite a new phenomenon in Hungary but significant development and progress has already been made. In accordance with the rise of CSR recognition, the importance of Employee Volunteering both on the part of NGOs and companies has markedly increased. Employee volunteering has turned out to be an issue of great importance for companies and in some cases voluntary work from employees as part of EV schemes has also become part of regular NGOs functioning. Distribution of the Survey’s sample: % of employers involved in EV and in EV in HA

Main type of activities Volunteering Day: Employees at all locations where a company works contribute a day of service to community activities.

Individual Volunteering: Individuals choose their own volunteering activities and carry them out either in their own time or

during volunteering leave provided by the employer.



29%86%

14%

71%



There are no legal framework affecting employee volunteering and any official data in Hungary, but organizations active in this topic as Önkéntes Központ Alapítvány (ÖKA) can be found.

EV in HA

There are very few experiences of EV in HA and there is general lack of knowledge of EV opportunities in the HA sector from the employer perspective. Hungarian employers usually focus their CSR strategies on their own community. The awareness and engagement of the society (and companies) with HA is smaller than other European countries. Many corporate leaders don’t see the added value of international or HA employee volunteering.



o EMPLOYERS: Pro bono Cross-border volunteering in the aftermath of a crisis NGO

o NGOs: Fundraising initiatives Pro bono


EMPLOYERS: Developing employees’ skills and Ethical demands NGOs: EV programs may open door to future partnership agreement; High level of technical

skills from the volunteers; Access to a large number of volunteers; Ability to spread our values and mission with other stakeholders from other sectors


EMPLOYERS: Security of volunteers and Internal support from the board NGO: Security of the volunteers and Internal support


We have never thought about the possibility We do not know if our employees would be useful in that context


More information/training on how to implement Employee Volunteering Long-term partnerships with the employers

References


European Volunteer Center. Corporate volunteering in Hungary “Vállalati önkéntesség (TOP200)” (2011). Hungarian Donors Forum ONKENTES [www.onkentes.hu] HAND [hand.org.hu]

IRELAND FACTSHEET


In the last 10-15 years there has been a growing movement from the Irish business sector towards corporate social responsibility and stakeholder dialogue, leading to greater interest in employee volunteering programmes. According to the Business Impact Map, from Business in the Community Ireland, over 33 companies report providing support to different social initiatives through employee volunteering, totalling an amount of 142.577 hours in 2012; an equivalent to an average of 537 full employee/days of volunteering support per company. Also, according to Business in the Community, practical business delivery and engagement has resulted in nearly 46,000 employees participating in employee volunteering programmes across some 500 companies. International volunteering in the corporate sector is less extended and additional promotion and support is required for its development. According to a recent research (Cohmland, 2013) social organisations note that they have struggled to engage companies in stable partnerships. The reason for this is perceived to be in part due to the difficult economic climate that limits the possibilities for companies to invest in programmes that fall outside of their core business. Volunteering Ireland is the national volunteer development agency. It provides support to for-profit companies interested in volunteering and offers volunteer management services for large-scale events and festivals. It also provides a service entitled Inspiration Days that matches teams of company employees with not-for-profit groups for unique and meaningful community volunteer days. They help companies identify corporate volunteering ethos, connect company with volunteer organisations, source bespoke projects for the staff and evaluate the experience. http://www.volunteer.ie/ Business in the Community Ireland ran the first task force about employee volunteering in 2000. Since then, they have actively promoted corporate engagement in Ireland though EV. They have a best practice bank with interesting EV examples and manage the Business Impact Map an interesting initiative where information about corporate engagement in Ireland is reported. http://www.bitc.ie/ and http://livemaps.bitc.ie/ Distribution of the Survey’s sample: % of employers involved in EV and in EV in HA


-Individual volunteering: Individuals choose their own volunteering activities and carry them out either in their own time or during

volunteering leave provided by the employer; -Volunteering days: employees at all locations where a company works honor a day of service to community activities.;

International volunteering involving deployment to a different country. -Team challenge: a one-time group activity. It is usually a practical task, e.g. painting a wall, clearing a river, building a dry stone

wall, or creating a school garden


EV is normally developed during working time or at least on both working and personal time

60%

40%

100%



The National Committee on Volunteering has been advocating for many years to promote relationships between the voluntary sector and corporate and public bodies, seeking for State support in this respect, but still there is a lack of any specific legal framework promoting EV in Ireland, neither tax incentives.

EV in HA

There are very few experiences of EV in HA and there is general lack of knowledge of EV opportunities in the HA sector from the corporate perspective.

From the companies surveyed, only those belonging to multinational companies were engaged in some sort of Employee Volunteering in HA (eg. GDF Suez and IBM). These companies run global EV in HA programmes where Irish employees can be deployed and also participate in fundraising activities.



Deployment of skilled staff in emergency situations; Deployment of volunteers for prevention; Disaster Risk Reduction and climate change adaptation;

• Benefits/Motivations of EV in Ha

Developing employees’ skills New market access or market consolidation


Risk to the employees High costs associated to this kind of schemes; Lack of internal support from the Board


They think the volunteers would need too much additional preparation It would be very costly


Toolkits to allow employers to prepare and consider if its appropriate for their organisation.

VOSEA (2013) Models for International Volunteering, Comhlámh McCloughan, P. (2013) New Evidence on Overseas Volunteering from Ireland, Comhlám VOSEA (2013) Models for International Volunteering, Comhlám National Committee on Volunteering (2002) Tipping the Balance

References

FACTSHEET – ITALIA

Brief description of the situation of EV EV is increasing, but the economic crisis is reducing its expansion; Sodalitas Foundation and Ciessevi Milano have promoted a research on EV and some projects aimed to investigate EV The City of Milan is promoting an innovative programme on this topic. Some Third Sector organization (17) is participating to specific schemes: ABIO Milano, AISM, Arché, CIAI, CoLomba, Comunità Nuova, Cooperativa Sociale Noi Genitori, COOPI, Fondazione Aiutare i bambini, Fondazione Banco Alimentare, Fondazione Enaip Lombardia, Fondazione Ivo de Carneri, HUMANA People to People, Legambiente, Società di San Vincenzo de Paoli, VISPE, WWF. Companies involved in EV offer their employees the opportunity to spend 3 working days annually contributing to the community. The “VOLONTARIATO & IMPRESE” prize of 2013 was promoted by the “Centro Servizi per il Volontariato delle Marche (CVS)” which is a centre for the coordination of volunteering in Marche, a region in the centre of Italy. This prize aimed to reward volunteering organisations, enterprises and associations of the sector that had realised projects or initiatives of collaboration in the region’s territories during the 2012. This initiative was part of the project to motivate cooperation between volunteering organisations and private enterprise to develop CSR policies and programmes focused on providing help to the most vulnerable and to preserve the common goods of the region. (www.sodalitas.it) Distribution of the Survey’s sample: % of employers involved in EV and in EV in HA


Individual Volunteering: Individuals choose their own volunteering activities and carry them out either in their own time or during volunteering leave provided by the employer

Volunteering Day: employees at all locations where a company works honor a day of service to community activities Fundraising initiatives: Volunteering which aim is to support different fundraising initiatives (e.g. events organisation,

awareness campaigns, etc.) for charities.


In most cases, the EV is carried out during working time or in Mixed time (both personal – working time) and just for one organisation who responded to the questionnaire during employee’s personal time.

23%71%

29%

77%



The Law 6 August 2008 n. 133 (Published in the Gazzetta Ufficiale n. 195, 21 August 2008 - n. 196 . Available at http://www.camera.it/parlam/leggi/08133l.htm [cited 2 February 2011]), promotes employee volunteering in the public sector by granting public employees with less than 5 years left to reach 40 years of service, in the years 2009, 2010 or 2011, the possibility of ceasing work before reaching retirement age and still receiving 50% of their retribution. If these 5 years are spent volunteering for third sector organisations, upon presentation of the required evidence, the retribution is instead increased to 70%. So far it has been scarcely used. There is a law of 1991 in where it was established that workers from the private sector could volunteer during working time. But never was applied in reality.

EV in ha


• Main kind of EV in HA support: Deployment of skilled staff in emergency situations; Deployment of volunteers for disaster preparedness;

• Benefits/Motivation of EV in Ha EMPLOYERS: Developing employee’s skills; new Market acces or market consolidation; Ethical

and philanthropic demands from different stakeholders NGO: Training and working with the employers

• Barriers/Constraints

EMPLOYERS: International support from the board NGO: Funding and difficult Matching


They have never thought about the possibility; It is not under their responsibility (e.g. volunteering activities under our responsibility are limited to a national level); It would be very risky for their employees; They do not know if their employees would be useful in that context; It would take too much time from our employees

• Reasons why employers involved in NGOs are not involved in EV in HA Lack of knowledge about the existing opportunities to fill their needs; Lack of resources to

manage this kind of volunteering (time, money, etc.); Lack of knowledge about how to find a partner for Employee Volunteering initiatives

COMITATO D’INTESA, (2012) Eliwell e il volontariato COMITATO D’INTESA, (2013) “Esperienze di volontariato aziendale a Belluno” NOESIS comunicazione, (2011) “il volontariato d’impresa fa bene” SODALITAS, (2013) Volontariato d’impresa: una guida pratica per la collaborazione tra profit e nonprofit SODALITAS (2010) Dati sul volontariato d’impresa “Dati tratti dal quarto rapporto sull'impegno sociale in Italia,

realizzato da Swg per l'Osservatorio Socialis di Errepi Comunicazione” SODALITAS, (2011) “I volontari? Si arruolano in azienda” VOLONTARIATO & IMPRESE, CSV Marche (2013) “ Premio volontariato & imprese”

References

FACTSHEET – LATVIA


Employee Volunteering is still developing in Latvia, as is a volunteering generally. In a survey carried out in 2012 by SOS Childrens’ Villages Latvia in cooperation with Eiro Personals and Stockholm School of Economics Riga (they questioned 86 companies), the results showed that:

1. Businesses with foreign investment are more participating in NGOs projects than those with local capital (24 Latvian, 35 with foreign capital). 2. 84% of businesses that support philanthropy are also involved in NGOs projects engaging their employees. 3. Most frequent reason for not being involved in NGO projects is lack of time (64%). 4. The manner in which companies have been involved in NGOs projects – 33% donating money, 37% donating goods/services and 23% donating voluntary work. 5. 50% of respondents agreed that there have been positive change after being involved in NGO projects, 45% said that it is hard to say, 5% - said no positive change have been brought about Distribution of the Survey’s sample: % of employers involved in EV and in EV in HA


Volunteering Day: employees at all locations where a company works honor a day of service to community activities. Fundraising initiatives: Volunteering which aim is to support different fundraising

initiatives (e.g. events organisation, awareness campaigns, etc.) for NGOs.


Not available

67% 100%33%



The new special Law on Volunteering has been now under the revision of Parliament, but it does not talk specifically about

Employee Volunteering.

EV in HA

There are no relevant experiences in employee volunteering in HA in Latvia (no employers or NGOs involved in this kind of employee volunteering have been identified), so this part of the analysis is focused in the barriers perceived by the employers with experience in local employee volunteering.

• According the field survey, there are not employers involved in some kind of employee volunteering in humanitarian aid initiative in front of 33% who are involved in other typology of employee volunteering projects. On the other side, employers involved in employee volunteering in Latvia are no interested in employee volunteering in Humanitarian Aid (they have responded “no interest” or “I don’t know” to the question “Are you interested in employee volunteering in Humanitarian Aid?”.


o EMPLOYERS: Lack of training and Lack of innovative initiatives to establish EV schemes

• Reasons Why employers involved in Employee Volunteering are not involved in EV in HA o We do not know if our employees would be useful in that context o It would be very risky for our employee

“Volunteering Infrastructure in Europe” (2012). European Volunteer Center What Does Business Think about Corporate Social Responsibility? ATTITUDES AND PRACTICES IN ESTONIA, LATVIA


References

FACTSHEET – LITHUANIA

Brief description of the situation of EV Employee volunteering is quite a new phenomenon in Lithuania. According to the data collected through the research tools used for this study the results from Lithuania are very similar to the other Baltic countries i.e that there are a far higher number of employers without any experience in employee volunteering than there are involved in this kind of volunteering. Distribution of the Survey’s sample: % of employers involved in EV and in EV in HA


Volunteering Day: employees at all locations where a company works honor a day of service to community activities. Lack of knowledge about the existing opportunities for volunteering Lack of knowledge about how to find a partner for implementing Employee


Not available

67% 100%33%



Volunteering is increasingly important in the business sector but there are no legal frameworks affecting

Employee volunteering.

EV in HA

There are no relevant experiences in employee volunteering in Lithuania so this part of the analysis is focused on the barriers perceived by the employers with experience in local employee volunteering. Employee Volunteering in Humanitarian Aid seems so far not to be a reality in the country.

• According the field survey, there are not employers involved in some kind of employee volunteering in humanitarian aid initiative in front of 33% who are involved in other typology of employee volunteering projects. On the other side, employers involved in employee volunteering in Lithuania are no interested in employee volunteering in Humanitarian Aid (they have responded “no interest” or “I don’t know” to the question “Are you interested in employee volunteering in Humanitarian Aid?”.


o EMPLOYERS: Lack of training and Lack of innovative initiatives to establish EV schemes

• Reasons Why employers involved in Employee Volunteering are not involved in EV in HA o We do not know if our employees would be useful in that context o It would be very risky for our employee o It would be very costly

“Volunteering Infrastructure in Europe” (2012). European Volunteer Center What Does Business Think about Corporate Social Responsibility? ATTITUDES AND PRACTICES IN ESTONIA, LATVIA


References

FACTSHEET – LUXEMBOURG


There is very little literature or data on volunteering or employee volunteering in Luxembourg. Employee volunteering is quite a new phenomenon in Luxembourg. However, significant development and progress has already been made and Employee volunteering is turning into an issue of great importance for companies. In some cases the contribution through Employee Volunteering has also become a regular part of NGOs functioning. Distribution of the Survey’s sample: % of employers involved in EV and in EV in HA

Main type of activities Volunteering Day: employees at all locations where a company works honor a day of service to community activities. Skills-Based Volunteering: This type of volunteering meets a need for particular skills and can take place in a wide range of

scenarios, including practical challenges and individual volunteering



35%82%

18%

65%



There are no legal framework affecting employee volunteering and any official data in Luxembourg.

EV in HA

There is general lack of knowledge of EV opportunities in the HA sector from the corporate perspective. Several initiatives of employee volunteering in humanitarian aid can be found in Luxembourg but most of these initiatives are global projects from global multinationals based in the country and not from small companies.




o Deployment of skilled staff in emergency situation o Deployment of volunteers for post-crisis recovery o Fundraising initiatives with Employee Volunteering support (not in an emergency situation)


o Developing employees’ skills o Ethical demands o Staff motivation


o Security of volunteers o Internal support from the board o Providing adequate training




European Volunteer Center. Volunteering in the European Union (2010). Final Report submitted by GHK Etude de l'Œuvre Nationale de Secours Grande-Duchesse Charlotte portant sur le secteur associatif au Luxembourg

References

FACTSHEET – MALTA


According to the results of a European Project call “Empowering Private Sector Employees through Volunteering” that took place in Malta and other European countries, almost half of the companies interviewed and approximately one third of NGOs interviewed are aware of Corporate Volunteering Programmes. Despite this, employers and NGOs with employee volunteering programmes in the country are very limited. Although this is low, the results show that interest from both the private and third sectors is relatively positive. In fact, 61% of the 95 companies that do not have a Corporate Volunteering Programme in place are interested in setting up a Programme and 58% of all the companies interviewed would like to have their company listed in a database responsible for linking companies with NGOs. Distribution of the Survey’s sample: % of employers involved in EV and in EV in HA

Main type of activities Volunteering Day: employees at all locations where a company works honor a day of service to community activities. Fundraising initiatives: Volunteering which aim is to support different fundraising initiatives (e.g. events organisation,

awareness campaigns, etc.) for charities.


Not available

40%80%

20%

60%



There is no specific law which addresses volunteering or is concerned with individual volunteers in Malta.

The only law which touches upon volunteering is the Voluntary Organisations Act (Act XXII of 2007)26, which was adopted with the intention of regulating the voluntary sector..

EV in HA

In spite of there are not relevant experience in employee volunteering in Malta, thanks to the work of SOS Malta (this local organization has had over the years during humanitarian missions), several employers have been involved with their volunteers in humanitarian projects in Albania, Kosovo, Sri Lanka, or Haiti).



Deployment of skilled staff in emergency situations Deployment of volunteers in the aftermath of a crisis


EMPLOYERS: Developing employees’ skills and Ethical demands NGOs: EV programs may open door to future partnership agreement; High level of technical

skills from the volunteers; Access to a large number of volunteers; Ability to spread our values and mission with other stakeholders from other sectors

• Barriers/Constrains EMPLOYERS: Lack of training and Lack of innovative initiatives to establish EV schemes NGO: Funding and Security of the volunteers



• Support that would facilitate implementing an Employee Volunteering in Humanitarian NGOs Long-term partnerships with an organization High level of technical skills from the volunteers Time disposition and flexibility of the volunteers Additional financial support to our organisation from the sending organisation

“Volunteering Infrastructure in Europe” (2012). European Volunteer Center Empowering Private Sector Employees through Volunteering (EPSEV): 2011. Final Report of the European Project.

SOS Malta [www.sosmalta.org]

References

FACTSHEET – NETHERLAND


Employee volunteering is a growing phenomenon in the Netherlands where companies are having a more relevant and significant role in social issues working together with the volunteering sector.

According to MOVISIE’s monitoring of volunteer organisations between 2008-2013 about 10 % of 5450 volunteer organisations are already actively working with companies; another 20% are interested but don’t as yet have any experience.



Volunteering Day: employees at all locations where a company works honor a day of service to community activities. Skills-Based Volunteering: This type of volunteering meets a need for particular skills and can take place in a wide range of

scenarios, including practical challenges and individual volunteering. Partnerships: A series of volunteering activities developed in partnership with a volunteer-involving organisation such as special

constables in the police force.



23%69%

31%

77%



Although there is no law on volunteering in the Netherlands, there is a lot of prudency at the national level with regards to the position of volunteers. In many situations, the same regulations that apply to paid staff are also applicable to volunteers.

EV in HA

There are very few experiences of EV in HA and there is general lack of knowledge of EV opportunities in the HA sector from the corporate perspective. Employee Volunteering in Humanitarian Aid initiatives is not a common activity in the Netherlands apart from several multinationals who support humanitarian organisations.



o EMPLOYERS: Pro bono Deployment of skilled staff in emergency situations Cross-border volunteering for disaster prevention (not in an emergency

situation) o NGO

Fundraising initiatives Deployment of volunteers for disaster prevention (not in an emergency

situation) Deployment of volunteers in the aftermath of a crisis


EMPLOYERS: Ethical demands and Development of volunteer’s skills NGO: Establishment of long term support from the employers and Specific skills of the

employees.

• Reasons Why employers involved in Employee Volunteering are not involved in EV in HA: They have never thought about the possibility; It is not under their responsibility (e.g. volunteering activities under our responsibility are limited to a national level)


Lack of knowledge about the existing opportunities to fill our needs

They don’t think there would be any benefit to their organizations

“Volunteering Infrastructure in Europe” (2012). European Volunteer Center Nationale MBO Monitor [www.nationalembomonitor.nl] Movisie [www.movisie.com] MVO Netherland [www.mvonederland.nl]

References

FACTSHEET – POLAND


As regards the impact of EYV 2011 on enterprises, there was a significant increase in the number of new companies interested in carrying out volunteering programmes. Interestingly, it is not only corporations but also Polish companies, state-owned enterprises and public institutions that demonstrate interest in this field. Some action can also be seen in the SME sector. Still, it is very rare that companies in Poland do have such a programme. Only 7% of companies claim to have an employee volunteering programme (Volunteer centre’s research 2008). That shows that there is no significant number of business entities involved in volunteering in Poland. Although some of those programmes are quite big and well recognised, it can be generalised that it is domain for larger and richer companies, corporations, mainly with foreign stakeholders. There is no annually conducted research or analysis about business volunteering itself. Last report of this kind has been issued on 2008 by Warsaw Volunteer Centre and the research was made only on 207 entities. Preliminary results of a research that will become available later in 2011 show that very few companies cooperate with voluntary organisations and most of the companies do not recognise any of those organisations. Distribution of the Survey’s sample: % of employers involved in EV and in EV in HA


Volunteering Day: employees at all locations where a company works honor a day of service to community activities. Individual Volunteering: Individuals choose their own volunteering activities and carry them out either in their own time or during

volunteering leave provided by the employer. Fundraising initiatives: Volunteering which aim is to support different fundraising initiatives (e.g. events organisation, awareness

campaigns, etc.) for NGOs. Volunteering during Personal time Vs Working time

• 52% employees volunteer during their working time • 38% volunteer during working time and personal time • 10% During employee’s personal time

27%

62,5%

37,5%

73%



There are no legal framework affecting employee volunteering. The legal definition of volunteering has been specified in the law. According to the act, a volunteer is a person who voluntarily, and with no remuneration provides services based on regulations specified in the law (Art. 2.3). The law further states that the person undertaking the voluntary activity has to be duly qualified and meet the requirements of the benefit that he or she is providing

EV in HA

There are very few experiences of EV in HA and there is general lack of knowledge of EV opportunities in the HA sector from the corporate perspective. The sensibility and involvement of the society (and companies) with HA is smaller than other European countries. Polish employers usually focus their CSR strategies on their own community.


37,5% is involved in some kind activities related to Employee Volunteering in Humanitarian Aid.


Cross-border volunteering in the aftermath of a crisis NGO Deployment of volunteers for prevention, Disaster Risk Reduction and climate change adaptation Fundraising initiatives with Employee Volunteering support (not in an emergency situation)

• Benefits/Motivations of EV in HA o EMPLOYERS:

Developing employees’ skills Ethical demands


o EMPLOYERS: Security of volunteers Internal support from the board


We have never thought about the possibility We do not know if our employees would be useful in that context It would be very risky for our employees


European Volunteer Center. Report Responsible Business in Poland (2011): Responsible Business Forum II Ogólnopolskie Badania (2013): Stowarzyszenie Centrum Wolontariatu w Warszawie, Warszawa

References

FACTSHEET – PORTUGAL


In Portugal the Employee Volunteering phenomenon is increasing in general terms. Specific initiatives are leading this development and coordinating the evolution of the field. This is the case of the Reflection and Support Group for Corporate Citizenship Association (GRACE), which is leading business involvement in volunteering through the project G.I.R.O. – Grace, Intervene, Recover and Organise. This is “the largest corporate voluntary action in Portugal whose main objective is the improvement of quality of life of groups at risk. This action gathers around 500 volunteers from several enterprises who exchange office work for community work for local charities and associations for one day”, according Volunteering Infrastructure in Europe report. In addition, there are also the so-called ‘volunteer banks’, that provide opportunities to volunteer in general but matchmaking organisations doing the job of linking the need of the NGOs with employers have not been identified. A number of companies have their own EV programs, as it is the case of Inovamais; Inovaformação - Prestação de Serviços de Formação Profissional; PYL Formación and EDP (Energias De Portugal). Interest in EV from the perspective of the NGO sector is also growing. Relevant actors from the EV field in Portugal consider that the crisis has been a catalyst for this as many NGO are seeking ways to interact with companies in order to achieve funds. Distribution of the Survey’s sample: % of employers involved in EV and in EV in HA


Individual Volunteering: Individuals choose their own volunteering activities and carry them out either in their own time or during volunteering leave provided by the employer

Volunteering day employees at all locations where a company works honor a day of service to community activities. Partnerships: A series of volunteering activities developed in partnership with a volunteer-involving organisation such as



14% employees volunteer during their working time 14% volunteer during working time and personal time 71% employees volunteer in mixed time

12,5%

43

57% 87,5%



According to the Law no 71/98 Volunteering is defined as a set of activities pursuing community or social interest carried out in an unselfish way by individuals, within the framework of not-for-profit projects, programmes or other interventions developed by public entities or private organisations for the benefit of individuals, families or communities in need. A volunteer is defined as an individual performing volunteer activities in an organised setting, out of his/her will, in an unselfish and responsible manner, according to his/her qualification and during his/her leisure time. Under this definition, Employee Volunteering could not be implemented during working hours of the employee.

Recently, GRACE has created a work group composed by some of its members (law firms) to work on a proposal of a corporate volunteering law which is under consideration by the Portuguese government.

EV in HA

So far, in Portugal there are very few experiences in international EV there are however examples of support to the HA sector through other EV schemes that don’t involve deployment.

• According to the field survey, 87,5% of employers are involved in Employee Volunteering. Within this percentage,



Probono programmes Training/capacity building activities


EMPLOYERS: Ethical and philanthropic demands from different stakeholders and to achieve a positive branding


EMPLOYERS: funding and working with the NOGs No information available


We have never thought about the possibility

• Support that would facilitate implementing an Employee Volunteering in Humanitarian NGOs No information available


No information available


References

FACTSHEET – ROMANIA


Employee Volunteering is a social practice that is still rare in Romania, despite the fact that volunteering is an important component of non-governmental organisations; there are types of public organisations based on the contribution of volunteers and voluntary corporate initiatives.

Two main trends can be identified in Romania: Companies set up their own foundation and do their own things; they act according to their priorities that are not necessarily the

same as the community priorities i.e. the activities are not needs-based. There are sporadic company initiatives without any direct support from the company being invested in it and it is rather the

initiative of a single person or a group of interested people in the company rather than being a genuine employer supported initiative.







37%87%

13%

63%



In Romania, since 2009, the framework law on volunteering has been subject to several revision initiatives. The major changes included in the proposed law are the inclusion of provisions referring to Employee Volunteering (which is not mentioned in the current law and creates problems for employers developing Employee Volunteering schemes)..

EV in HA

As in other central European countries, Romanian employers usually focus their CSR strategies on their own community. The awareness and engagement of the society (and companies) with HA is smaller than other European countries. Romania does not have strong historical links with Africa, Latin America, or Asia and it can be because of this that it is very difficult identify employee volunteering in humanitarian aid initiatives in the country.




Pro bono Cross-border volunteering in the aftermath of a crisis NGO Fundraising initiatives

• Benefits/Motivations of EV in HA EMPLOYERS: Developing employees’ skills and Ethical demands NGOs: EV programs may open door to future partnership agreement; High level of

technical skills from the volunteers; Access to a large number of volunteers; Ability to spread our values and mission with other stakeholders from other sectors


EMPLOYERS: Security of volunteers and Internal support from the board NGO: Security of the volunteers and Internal support


We have never thought about the possibility We do not know if our employees would be useful in that context


More information/training on how to implement Employee Volunteering Long-term partnerships with the employers


European Volunteer Center. Provobis [www.provobis.ro]

References

FACTSHEET – SLOVAKIA


Employee volunteering is quite a new phenomenon in the Slovakia that has been seen to be developed as a legacy of EYV2011. In accordance with the rise of CSR recognition, the importance of employee volunteering both on the part of NGOs and companies has markedly increased. Employee volunteering has become an issue of great importance for companies and in some cases employee volunteering has also become a regular part of NGO functioning.

Pontis foundations promotes employee volunteering in Slovakia through ENGAGE Key Cities Programme, an international network launched by Business in the Community.



Volunteering Day: employees at all locations where a company works honor a day of service to community activities. Individual Volunteering: Individuals choose their own volunteering activities and carry them out either in their own time or

during volunteering leave provided by the employer



43% 86%

14%

57%



In Slovakia, the Law on Employment Services (no. 5/2004) defines volunteering as a possible activity for unemployed people. According to this law, these people can be engaged in the so-called activation work within the civil sector.

EV in HA

There are very few experiences of EV in HA and there is general lack of knowledge of EV opportunities in the HA sector from the corporate perspective. As in other Central European countries, Slovakian employers usually focus their CSR strategies on their own community. In addition, there are just a few humanitarian NGOs in Slovakia. Due to these reasons it is very difficult identify employee volunteering in humanitarian aid initiatives in the country.




Fundraising initiatives Training/capacity building activities Awareness raising


Ethical and philanthropic demands from different stakeholders Positive branding


Security of volunteers Internal support from the board Funding


They have never thought about the possibility


European Volunteer Center.

References

FACTSHEET – SLOVENIA


Employee volunteering is quite a new phenomenon in the Slovenia, but it has turned out to be an issue of great importance for companies and in some cases employee volunteering has also become a regular part of NGO functioning.

Slovenia Filantropia has an employee volunteering programme in which the community is supported through various initiatives manifested in many forms, from one-off events (local hospice painting walls, cleaning the environment) to viable longer term projects (mentoring in the development of flexible career opportunities for difficult adolescents or pro bono management of large-scale humanitarian operations).

Employee Volunteering programmes provide strong links with the local community and bring benefits to all involved - employees, business, nonprofit organisations and local communities. Distribution of the Survey’s sample: % of employers involved in EV and in EV in HA





50% 83%

17%

50%



In Slovenia, the law on volunteering provides a definition of organised voluntary work; it specifies that organised voluntary work be carried out “within a voluntary organisation, public institutions of for-profit sector if they carry out activities for the common good at least 24 hours per year”. Organised voluntary work can also take place in social enterprises, which are regulated by the Law on Social Entrepreneurship.

EV in HA

Slovenian employers usually focus their CSR strategies on their own community. Many corporate leaders don’t see the added value of international or HA employee volunteering. In addition, there are just a few humanitarian NGOs in Slovenia and for these reasons it is very difficult identify employee volunteering in humanitarian aid initiatives in the country.



Fundraising initiatives Awareness raising


Ethical and philanthropic demands from different stakeholders Positive branding


Security of volunteers Internal support from the board Funding


They have never thought about the possibility It would be very costly We do not know if our employees would be useful in that context


European Volunteer Center.

References

FACTSHEET – SPAIN

Employee Volunteering in Spain is a growing trend and the knowledge about the concept has been extended. There are a variety of different initiatives to promote awareness and provide support to organisations wishing to implement EV. An example of this is the Observatory of Employee Volunteering (Observatorio Español del Voluntariado Corporativo), which publishes a biennial study about the state of the art in this field in Spain. Spain was also witness of the creation of the first global network of Employee Volunteering: Voluntare, founded by different companies and NGOs in the EV field (Telefónica, KPMG, Endesa, Unilever; Fundar, Forum Empresa; Corresponsables and CODESPA) Additionally, different actors from the academic sector have undertaken research related with this field, as it is the case of ESADE Business School (e.g. Estudio sobre el estado del Voluntariado Corporativo en España, 2 0 1 0). There are other examples where training on Employee Volunteering is provided, as it is the case of the ‘Corporate Volunteering Course’ of Universidad Alcalá de Henares. There is an extended practice among large companies with Corporate Social Responsibility programs, and relevant cases among concrete SMEs and certain public sector actors. Distribution of the Survey’s sample: % of employers involved in EV and in EV in HA


Volunteering day employees at all locations where a company works honor a day of service to community activities. Individual volunteering: Partnerships: A series of volunteering activities developed in partnership with a volunteer-involving organisation such as



6%

61%

39%

94%




In Spain, there no specific framework related with Employee Volunteering. Spanish Government is currently working in the new Corporate Social Strategy and, in this framework, specific recommendations on Employee Volunteering would be included: (a) Design specific strategies to promote Employee Volunteering for private and public employers; (b) Share experiences and new developments on a regular basis and have access to reliable and competent partners for Employee Volunteering; and (c) Support instruments with which all stakeholders maximize the impact into their organizations and into the community, increasing the numbers of employers and volunteer organisations with the capacity and willingness to implement good quality Employee Volunteering.

EV in HA

Although EV is becoming an extended practice, EV in HA remains as an isolated phenomenon. The data collected in the study has revealed that there is confusion about what the HA field involves and there is an assumption that it is related with emergency response actions. It is perceived as a very complex scheme of EV and it is assumed to be for a very specific profile of employee. In addition, it is considered that the training required for those volunteers is extensive. Where EV activities for humanitarian aid do exist they tend to be focused on donation and funding schemes that involve all employees.



Deployment of skilled staff in emergency situations Probono programmes Awareness raising initiatives Fundraising initiatives


EMPLOYERS: Development of volunteer’s skills and Staff motivation • Barriers/Constrains

EMPLOYERS: Security of volunteers and funding NGO: Funding and difficult matching between our needs and skills of employee volunteers


It would be very risky for our employees We have never thought about the possibility We do not know if our employees would be useful in that context


External financial support or incentives Long-term partnerships with an organisation


Lack of knowledge about how to manage Employee Volunteering Lack of resources to manage this kind of volunteering (time, money, etc.) Lack of knowledge about the existing opportunities to fill our needs;

IESE y Cooperación Internacional ONG. Estudio sobre Observatorio de VC (biennial) CODESPA (2013). Global Corporate Volunteering. ESADE (2012). Voluntariado Corporativo en España. Modelos y perspectivas de impacto social. PÉREZ, María Jesús; LORO, Silvia y ARENAS, María Sonia (2012). Estudio Voluntariado Corporativo en España y

América Latina: percepciones empresa – ENL. Voluntare. LEMONCHE, Paloma (2010). Voluntariado Corporativo. Un Puente de colaboración entre la empresa y la sociedad,

Forética ADECCO FOUNDATION and CLUB DE EXCELENCIA EN SOSTENBILIDAD (2010). Estudio sobre el estado del

Voluntariado corporativo en España 2 0 1 0.

References

Brief description of the situation of EV According to Volontärbyrån (a Swedish organisation that helps companies run volunteer programmes for their employees), private companies do not engage in volunteering activities to the same extent as in the US or the UK for example but that the interest is increasing in Sweden. The impact of EYV 2011 on enterprises has been marked and since then there has been a significant increase in the number of new companies interested in carrying out volunteering programmes in Sweden.



Skills-Based Volunteering: This type of volunteering meets a need for particular skills and can take place in a wide range of scenarios, including practical challenges and individual volunteering.

Individual Volunteering: Individuals choose their own volunteering activities and carry them out either in their own time or during volunteering leave provided by the employer.

Volunteering during Personal time Vs Working time Most of the volunteering activities are done during working time, and also there are cases in which is both personal and

working time used.

50%

60%

40%

50%


FACTSHEET – SWEDEN


There are no legal framework affecting employee volunteering and any official data in Sweden.

EV in HA




o Deployment of skilled staff in emergency situations; o Deployment of volunteers for prevention; o Disaster Risk Reduction and climate change adaptation; o Deployment of volunteers for disaster preparedness; o Fundraising initiatives; o Pro bono;


o Internal support from the board o Security of the volunteers o Matching o Funding


o It would be very risky for employees; o They do not know if our employees would be useful in that context o They think the volunteers would need too much additional preparation; o They think it would be limited to a few employees; o They do not know if our employees would be useful in that context


o Not available


References

FACTSHEET – UNITED KINGDOM

Brief description of the situation of EV According to Business in the Community many people volunteer with the help of their employer. Approximately 70% of FTSE 100 companies have some kind of EV programme, while 20% of employees of medium-sized businesses and 14% of employees of small businesses have an EV scheme open to them. EV is increasing in the UK because there is a perception that volunteering by employees has far-reaching impact – to the organisations where they volunteer, to the organisations that employ them and to the individual volunteers themselves. In the current challenging economic situation many employers are recognising that staff volunteering schemes are a cost effective way to improve skills and motivation whilst doing good for the community they operate in.

From the Volunteer organisation’s perspective in the UK, overall, the picture of the Employee Volunteering sector is fairly positive; the majority of organisations have been able to engage with corporations and established mutually beneficial partnerships as a result. However, according to the mentioned research, there are still a large number of instances of employers expecting more from organisations than they can realistically provide, underestimating the resources required to provide such opportunities and leaving volunteer organisations feeling pressured to provide opportunities that can actually result in a negative impact on the organisation.

This study has identified the following EV experiences in HA: GDFSUEZ, International Business Machines, S.A., Groundwork London. In the case of NGOs: People in Aid (probono) and VSO are noteworthy examples, the latter being more focused on development but also has some HA activities with the companies. Also, Business in the Community promotes EV and are currently contracted by the UK Government to explore the potential of EV in UK HA activites. The Partner Initiative is an organisation that promotes and develops alliances between companies and NGOs and they have a specific area for HA. The UK is where the vast majority of examples of NGOs with EV schemes have been identified. The schemes typically allow a number of paid days leave (from the cases identified in the study this range from 3 – 12 days a year). The volunteering often needs to in a field related to the core work of the NGO.



Fundraising activities: : Volunteering which aim is to support different fundraising initiatives (e.g. events organisation, awareness campaigns, etc.) for charities.

Individual volunteer: Individuals choose their own volunteering activities and carry them out either in their own time or during volunteering leave provided by the employer

Volunteering day: employees at all locations where a company works honor a day of service to community activities


Most of the volunteering activities are done during working time, and also there are cases in which is both personal and working time used.

16%81%

19%

84%



Volunteers in the UK have no special legal status. While many pieces of legislation refer to, and affect volunteers, no single law creates a clear codified legal framework for volunteering or the voluntary sector. A number of Acts of Parliament have, however, important implications for volunteering. The National Minimum Wage Act created, for the first time in the UK, a universal right for workers to receive a centrally prescribed national minimum wage. In setting out the exclusions from the minimum wage, the Act created a new category of volunteer, a “voluntary worker”. There is also a legal requirement to allow leave for employees who are Trustees of a charity or who are school governors in order for them to fulfil their duties.

EV in ha

HA is not an area that EV programmes in the UK have traditionally been engaged with as most EV tends to be focused within the UK. Further development would depend on whether clear added value to the employer itself and to its workforce (e.g. team building skills) can be demonstrated. Most large companies tend to prefer be involved locally with causes that benefit the community, so they would need to be convinced of the value of EV schemes with a humanitarian or overseas focus as opposed to other EV programmes that they might already be engaged with where the focus is on meeting local needs.



• Main kind of EV in HA Deployment of skilled staff in emergency situations Deployment of volunteers for disaster preparedness Pro bono Fundraising activities


o EMPLOYERS: Developing employees skills, staff motivation and Ethical and philanthropic demands from

different stakeholders are the most valued employers motivation o NGO:

Training is the most valued motivation for NGOs

• Barriers/Constrains o EMPLOYERS:

The volunteers security and the internal support from the board are the principal constrains of employers

o NGO: Difficult matching and internal support are the most frequent constrains

• Reasons Why employers involved in Employee Volunteering are not involved in EV in HA: It would be very risky for the employees it the principal reason why they don’t do EV in HA


During our investigation, using different tools we found that the following EV experiences in HA are identified: GDFSUEZ, International Business Machines, S.A., Groundwork London. In the case of NGOs: People in Aid (probono) and VSO are remarkable ones. This one is more focused on development but also has some HA activities with the companies. Also, Business in the community promotes EV and they created a work team for this purpose; moreover they have a local EV program called Engage. IBLF also promoted EV, so they created the Partner Initiative to create alliances between companies and NGOs. They have a specific area for HA.

Clare Thompson- Scope, Jo Howarth- Family Action, Kit Lendon- PDSA, Sally Dawes- Blue Cros,(2013) Corporate Volunteering: Where are we now?

References

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