Get the most out of volunteer days

Today's companies are offering some pretty surprising perks to their employees in order to attract the best and brightest talent to their workforce. These options aren't just the typical perks you'd expect like vacation days, paid sick leave, or 401k matching. Some of the biggest companies in the world have started adding another incentive to their packages—volunteer days for their employees.

Over 100 companies currently offer paid volunteer days as an incentive. Options range from getting a paid day off to volunteer at the charity of your choice, to being asked to volunteer at a specific charity. 

Companies are offering this perk in response to employees seeking a sense of purpose from their work. In a world where it feels like sometimes your job is unimportant or doesn't matter, having the opportunity to do something that makes a big difference in the lives of others can inspire employees to find meaning in what they do.

 According to one survey, company volunteer days isn't just about helping employees feel better about themselves—in a recent survey, 64% of businesses who implemented a paid volunteer day saw a tangible difference to their bottom line when they did. The boost in good press, leadership skills, and professional development from volunteering lead to more profits.

This makes sense even for small businesses. If you run a surf shop by the beach, having your employees gather for a beach cleanup will not only make the beach more pleasant for surfers to go to, it'll also draw attention to your surf shop through the very act of volunteering.

Corporate volunteering is a great way to both increase company profits and do good to the world. Volunteer work has a positive impact in so many different ways, it should be something every business adds to their incentive package.