A paid day off for social engagement is an offering many employees would like – and few receive. Yet the benefit is easy to see: employees who take a volunteering day typically come back more appreciative, more motivated, and more engaged.
What does a day away from the office change on the inside?
Volunteer work activates different motives than paid work: helping, shaping, seeing impact. Employees who spend a day helping at a food bank, working on a conservation site, or supporting children with reading experience a contrast to office life that releases energy. Their own work often appears in a different light afterward – not because of a motivation strategy, but because a shift in perspective arises through direct experience.
How do you make the volunteering day effective?
Without a framework, the volunteering day is rarely used. What helps: an internal overview of possible placements, a brief reflection afterward (three sentences are enough), and the option to go in groups. Teams that volunteer together also strengthen their sense of togetherness along the way – a side effect that outperforms any team-building measure. You will find more measures and how they fit in the field of action Company culture.
How do you put the measure in place?
- 1Select a non-profit project: nature conservation/city park, social institution, playground action – matching the values and the team
- 2Contact the partner organisation and agree a concrete, feasible scope of work for one day
- 3Clarify the framework: date, transport, catering, work clothing, insurance/occupational safety
- 4Design it as a paid working day – the signal that the company is serious
- 5Announce the action in an appealing way: purpose, shared experience, for a good cause
- 6Collect voluntary sign-ups with a rough planning figure
- 7Let teams mix – contact across departments is part of the value
- 8A good start: welcome, short briefing by the organisation, clear tasks
- 9Pay attention to safety and a reasonable pace – it is not a competition
- 10Shared breaks and a closing moment create connection
- 11Take a few photos for the follow-up report – only with consent
- 12Share the experience: a short look back in the intranet, thanks to everyone involved
- 13Collect feedback: what was good, where to next time?
- 14Schedule a repeat – as an annual ritual it strengthens commitment particularly well
What do you need for it?
- Effort
- half a day
- Cost
- under €100
- Duration
- 1 day
- Setup
- 240 min
- ✓ Meaningful
- ✓ Strong team experience
- ✓ PR-friendly
Tax and health insurance: what is possible
Employer health benefits can be tax-free under § 3 no. 34 of the German Income Tax Act (EStG) up to €600 per employee per year — if they are provided in addition to the salary already owed and are either certified (§ 20 SGB V) or implemented within the company's health promotion process. Gym memberships and corporate fitness are not covered. For ZPP-certified courses (e.g. from Upfit), German statutory health insurers can reimburse all or part of the course fee to their insured members — then only the amount exceeding that reimbursement is tax-free. Projects within the company can be funded under § 20b SGB V, with no entitlement. Only your tax adviser can confirm the tax exemption.
How it works in EasyWHP
This Best Practice in EasyWHP: adopt it, adapt it, measure the effect
Once adopted, the measure is ready in EasyWHP — with instructions, an invitation and surveys before and after. You adapt what fits your company and see at the end what it achieved.
Screenshots with demo data, no real people.
Start this measure now
Register for free — and the measure is ready to go in your cockpit: invitation, feedback survey and appointment are already set up. First cycle, first numbers for the boss.
Try EasyWHP for freeRather take a look first? To the live demo →
Contributes to
Measure the impact with
Action field
Stress & Mental Health →A fitting occasion
- International Volunteer Day (Dec. 5): Corporate Volunteering
Related Best Practices
Not sure where to start? Self-check in approx. 7 minutes →