Should volunteering be during work hours or personal time?

Marpu Foundation
Jun 30
2 min read

In today’s India, employee volunteering is not just a “nice to have” in CSR strategy — it’s a powerful engagement tool. But many HR and CSR managers still ask:Should corporate volunteering be during office hours or on personal time?

This one choice directly impacts:

Participation rates
Program success
Employee motivation
And even your overall brand reputation

So, what’s the best path forward?

What Indian Companies Are Doing Right Now

🔍 Based on recent corporate trends across India:

65% of CSR programs offer structured volunteering during work hours
30% of them use a mixed model — one day office time + one day personal time
Very few rely on after-office/weekend-only volunteering

💡 Why? Because time is the biggest barrier for employees who want to help but can’t find space in their busy personal schedules.

Why Weekday Volunteering Works Better

✅ Higher Participation – When employees are given work-time options, more join.

✅Team Bonding – Shared volunteering experiences during working hours build better inter-departmental relationships.

✅ Stronger Impact Stories – Corporate teams can be mobilised easily in groups, making the CSR activity more visible and scalable.

✅ Better Alignment with Company Goals – Easy to tie volunteering into company values, appraisal processes, or team KPIs.

But What About Personal-Time Volunteering?

That works too — especially for:

Remote teams
Skilled volunteering (like mentoring, design, coding help)
Weekend family volunteering initiatives

However, it only thrives when it’s voluntary, fun, and flexible — not mandatory.

Ideal Model: Give a Blend of Both

📌 The best-performing Indian CSR models offer:

2 paid volunteering days/year
Internal campaigns to encourage volunteering after office hours for those interested
Rewards/recognition for consistent contributors

Best Volunteering Activities to Try This Month

If you're planning employee volunteering in June or July, these week-day friendly ideas are popular:

Tree Plantation with Teams
Hygiene Kit Packing for Girls
Digital Literacy Workshops
Toy/Book Drives
Beach or Lake Clean-Ups

All of these are impactful, scalable, and easy to coordinate with a reliable NGO partner.

Final Thoughts

In the end, what matters is creating a culture of volunteering, not just ticking boxes. So yes, give time during office hours. But also offer space for employees to give more if they wish. That’s how employee engagement meets community impact.

To make this happen, you can collaborate with an experienced CSR execution partner like Marpu Foundation NGO, who designs end-to-end employee volunteering programs that align with your values, calendar, and reporting needs.

👉 To learn more, visit: www.marpu.org