Today’s employees want more from the companies that employ them. But, is it more time off or more opportunities to do something that matters? For many employees, the answer is both.

Today’s forward-thinking companies are offering their employees time off to do volunteer work. While this may seem like an unusual perk, their employees are loving it. People want to feel like they’re making a difference in the world, but it can be challenging to find time to volunteer when working a full-time job. Offering employees volunteer time off can help solve this problem and also lead to great benefits for your business.

Create a team of passionate people

A volunteerism perk works to cultivate a workplace filled with passionate people. When employees tap into the passion of giving back through volunteering, they will bring those same feelings back to the workplace. Including volunteerism as a perk attracts like-minded individuals who already love giving their time and resources to others. To these people, a company that supports volunteerism cares about the well-being of their employees.

Happier employees boost your bottom line

Several studies show that more people find happiness in experiences rather than material possessions. By providing employees an outlet to enjoy these volunteer experiences, they will be happier having an out-of-office experience while basking in the joy of giving back to others.

Volunteerism replaces any feelings of burnout with pride and compassion. For example, allowing employees to take a few days off work to build homes for others gives them a much-needed break while allowing them to also give back to the community. Once back in the office, employers will find their workplace is abuzz with the productivity of happier workers.

Millennials love perks

Today’s millennial-minded workplaces are always on the hunt for the ultimate perk to attract the brightest young workers. A company searching for ways to attract more millennials needs to look no further than the perk of volunteerism. Millennials are unique in that they prefer to spend their time doing something that matters. Oftentimes, they will choose a company that has the same values they do.

While offering employees perks is nothing new, including volunteerism as one of them is an exciting way to cultivate a workplace filled with passionate and positive people. Giving employees the chance to give back during work means that business owners will find that this perk is just as rewarding for their companies as it is for their employees.