According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), almost a third of all U.S. companies offered paid volunteer time off (VTO) in 2024—and that number only seems to be growing, and for good reason. VTO is one of the best ways to retain and engage employees, build employer reputation, and ultimately, give back to communities in need.
In this article, we’ll walk you through exactly what VTO is, what a VTO policy is, and how to write one—so your business, your employees, and local community benefit.
Key Takeaways:
Volunteer time off (VTO) is a paid employee benefit that allows workers to take time away from their regular job duties to volunteer with charitable organizations while receiving their full salary. Typically, VTO is just one part of a company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR), or corporate volunteerism, program.
Every organization has a different VTO policy. However, according to Double the Donation, companies offer an average of 20 VTO hours per team member annually (equalling about 2.5 days each year).
Volunteer time off has numerous benefits for everyone: your company, your employees, and your community.
Offering your employees VTO can:
For nonprofits, volunteer time off is just as essential. When businesses encourage employees to volunteer their time, nonprofits get access to consistent support, professional expertise through skills-based volunteering, and deeper relationships with corporate partners invested in their mission. Plus, the connection between volunteers and donors is strong, meaning that corporate volunteers are likely to become consistent donors, too.
A VTO policy is a formal company document that outlines the guidelines and procedures for employees to take time off to volunteer.
Typically, the policy defines eligibility requirements, specifies how many hours employees can use for volunteering, establishes which charitable organizations qualify, and explains the request and approval process.
Now that you understand what VTO is and why it matters, you’ll need to create a VTO policy and communicate it to employees. Here’s how you can do it in just six steps.
Begin by introducing your employee volunteer program. Include the program’s mission statement and goals and provide resources for learning more about your company’s corporate social responsibility CSR initiatives. Then, briefly discuss the intent behind providing employees with volunteer time off.
Outline the foundational guidelines and policies that employees need to know up front. In essence, this section should address the following questions:
Discuss your company’s policies on volunteer time off eligibility. Who is eligible for VTO? Are part-time employees eligible for VTO? If so, are they entitled to the same number of hours?
You may also want to outline any conditions for ineligibility in this section. For example, employees may be ineligible for VTO if they are on a Performance Improvement Plan.
Employees should know which causes, organizations, projects, and activities qualify for VTO. So, you’ll need to provide a list of approved organizations and participating community partners.
In addition, list the types of volunteering activities that are eligible for VTO. For example, do you expect employees to volunteer at pre-selected events throughout the year? Are volunteers encouraged to offer pro bono or skills-based services? Alternatively, you may require employees to participate in opportunities that differ from their typical work responsibilities.
If you’re allowing volunteers to choose the organizations and activities for which they will volunteer, it can be helpful to list examples of appropriate use for VTO, such as:
It may be helpful to provide examples of inappropriate uses of VTO, such as:
Next, discuss the VTO application process, including the steps for submitting a VTO request form. To whom should employees submit their applications or requests? Who approves the request? How much notice do applicants need to provide?
Whatever your process is, be sure to have a system in place for handling the collection of this information efficiently and securely. A corporate volunteer management software, for example, is a great tool that stores digital copies and e-signatures for the easy and safe transfer of personal data.
In the final section of your volunteer time off policy, you’ll want to outline the steps required for tracking volunteer time and handling any reimbursement, if any.
Tracking and communicating volunteer hours is essential to measuring the impact of your VTO program. So, you’ll want a reliable system for doing so. We recommend implementing an employee volunteer management software, which not only streamlines the volunteer application and registration process, it also automates company-wide volunteer time tracking.
Whichever way you decide to track volunteer time, participants will need to know how to log their VTO hours.
Ready to put these steps into action? Use the template below as a starting point, and fill in all the necessary details about your unique company and guidelines.
At [ORGANIZATION NAME], we believe in supporting the communities where we live and work. Our employee volunteer program reflects our commitment to social responsibility and empowers team members to contribute their time and skills to causes they care about.
This Volunteer Time Off (VTO) policy provides eligible employees with paid time to volunteer with qualifying nonprofit organizations. We offer VTO because we recognize that our employees' passion for service strengthens both our communities and our workplace culture.
Program Goals:
For more information about our corporate social responsibility initiatives, visit [CSR PAGE LINK] or contact [CSR COORDINATOR NAME/EMAIL].
Allotted Time:
Eligible employees receive [NUMBER] hours/days of paid volunteer time off per [YEAR/QUARTER/MONTH].
Compensation:
Employees using VTO will be paid at their standard hourly rate.
Rollover Policy:
Unused VTO hours [DO/DO NOT] roll over to the next [TIME PERIOD]. [If applicable: Maximum rollover is LIMITED TO [NUMBER] HOURS.]
Reset Date:
VTO hours reset on [DATE/BEGINNING OF FISCAL YEAR/JANUARY 1].
Disaster Response Volunteering:
[Emergency and disaster response volunteering is managed separately on a case-by-case basis, depending on employee skill sets and community need. / Disaster response volunteering follows the same guidelines outlined in this policy.]
Eligible Employees:
[Full-time employees / All employees / Employees who have completed their probationary period] are eligible for VTO.
Part-Time Employees:
Part-time employees [ARE/ARE NOT] eligible for VTO. [If applicable: Part-time employees receive prorated VTO based on their scheduled hours—for example, employees working 20 hours per week receive [NUMBER] hours of VTO annually.]
Conditions for Ineligibility:
Employees may be ineligible for VTO if they:
Approved Organizations:
Employees may use VTO to volunteer with:
VTO cannot be used to support organizations that engage in discriminatory practices based on race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or other protected characteristics.
Eligible Activities:
VTO may be used for:
Examples of Appropriate VTO Use:
Examples of Inappropriate VTO Use:
How to Request VTO:
Required Information:
Approval Authority:
[DIRECT SUPERVISOR / HR DEPARTMENT / VTO PROGRAM COORDINATOR] will review and approve VTO requests.
Access the VTO Request Form here: [LINK]
Logging Your Hours:
After completing your volunteer activity, you must:
Deadline for Submission:
VTO hours must be logged within [NUMBER] days of completing the volunteer activity.
Verification Requirements:
[Employees must provide a signature or email confirmation from the nonprofit organization / No verification required for activities with pre-approved partners / Other requirement]
Questions?
Contact [VTO PROGRAM COORDINATOR NAME] at [EMAIL] or [PHONE NUMBER].
If you need a little inspiration to get started, check out these volunteer time off policy examples:
A clear, accessible VTO policy is the foundation of a successful employee volunteer program. When employees understand how to use their volunteer hours, they're more likely to engage—and that engagement creates a ripple effect of benefits: stronger community partnerships, increased employee satisfaction, and tangible social impact.
Volunteer time off (VTO) works by allowing employees to take paid time away from their regular work duties to volunteer with approved charitable organizations. Employees typically request VTO through their company's standard time-off system, receive manager approval, and then use their allotted hours to volunteer during work hours while maintaining their regular salary.
Volunteer time off is paid leave that employees use to volunteer with charitable organizations while receiving their regular salary. Voluntary time off is unpaid leave that companies offer to allow employees to take time off for a variety of reasons, usually without pay.
Volunteer time off is paid leave. Employees receive their regular salary while volunteering for approved charitable organizations during work hours.
VTO stands for volunteer time off or voluntary time off, depending on the company context. Volunteer time off refers to paid leave for charitable volunteering activities. Voluntary time off refers to unpaid leave offered during low-workload periods
An employee at Salesforce uses 8 hours of their annual 56-hour VTO allotment to volunteer at a local food bank on a Wednesday. They request VTO through their company portal, receive manager approval, spend their workday sorting and distributing food to families in need, and receive their full day's salary.
Yes, you can take time off work to volunteer if your company offers a volunteer time off (VTO) policy.
If your employer doesn't offer VTO, you can still volunteer using regular PTO, vacation days, personal days, or unpaid time off. To find out if your company offers VTO, check your employee handbook, benefits portal, or contact your HR department directly.
A VTO policy should include employee eligibility criteria (full-time vs. part-time status and tenure requirements), the amount of volunteer time offered annually (typically 8-40 hours), and which organizations qualify for volunteering (usually 501(c)(3) nonprofits).
Additionally, the policy must outline the request and approval process, required documentation, and rollover rules for unused hours.
According to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), 28% of U.S. companies offered paid volunteer time off in 2024.