Prime minister rolls out paid volunteer work

Prime minister David Cameron has announced the rollout of a paid volunteer scheme to every firm with more than 250 employees, under a Conservative government.

The plans were sparked after research from the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) revealed that 41 per cent of people said they would be willing to dedicate their time to carrying out paid volunteer work.

The prime minister's move would grant 15 million people the opportunity to spend three days performing such work. This would amount to 360 million volunteering hours being undertaken.

The volunteer scheme forms part of Mr Cameron's bid to establish economic security. He believes it will encourage an improved, more motivated workforce, as well as strengthen the bonds between communities.

Speaking about the scheme, Petra Wilton - director of strategy at the CMI - said: "We welcome this new political focus on the value of volunteering. CMI research has shown that volunteering can be hugely beneficial to employees and their employers, as well as to local communities and charities.

"Volunteering often puts people outside of their comfort zone, gives them new working experiences and leads them to develop new management and people skills that they can bring back to their workplace."

Ms Wilton added that in order to get the best out of such schemes, workers should be given the right to request leave from their employers for volunteering, ensuring both employer and employee share its benefits.

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