Supporting employees and their favorite charities helps retain workers and improve well-being.
“It’s in our company’s DNA,” said Loven Contracting President Jon Hansen. “Founder and CEO Mike Loven and his family are longtime community supporters. Mike established community service as a priority for Loven Contracting from the time he started the company in 1985. It’s an integral part of our company’s culture that we felt was important to formalize and we did so six years ago. We want to do our part to create healthy and sustainable communities, and offering VTO is one of several ways we do that.”
At Gore, full-time associates receive eight hours of paid volunteer time each year. Part-time employees receive four to six hours annually. “Our associates have had the benefit of this program for 16 years. It’s truly valued and appreciated,” said Gore Community Relations Leader for Flagstaff Jana Kettering. “Associates personally determine where they place their support. They make their own volunteer commitments, and we follow the interests of our associates. They often go out in groups and use the volunteer time for teambuilding while supporting the causes they care about.”
VTO is a form of paid leave. Employees receive their regular compensation for hours spent in service to a charitable or community organization. According to a 2019 employee benefits survey by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), 26% of U.S. employers offer paid time off for volunteering.
In addition to other employee benefits, such as health and dental insurance, both Loven and Gore say VTO helps recruit and retain the best employees. “It’s part of our overall benefit package and everything in totality helps associates decide whether or not to come work for Gore,” said Kettering.
“You can’t have a healthy business in a community that isn’t healthy, and it’s proven that volunteering helps lift communities. We also know that VTO is one of the most sought-after employee benefits,” Hansen said, adding that studies have shown that volunteering helps relieve stress and supports both physical and mental health.
“At Loven Contracting, we’re not just a construction company; we want to build communities,” said Hansen. Loven Contracting employees recently distributed food and blankets at Kinsey Elementary and volunteered at Flagstaff Family Food Center to help with several mobile food box delivery sites throughout the city.
“We offer this program throughout the U.S. and it’s utilized more in Flagstaff than in many of our other areas,” said Kettering. She notes that Gore Associates volunteer efforts include fire and flood damage cleanup, firewood chopping, food bank boxing, teaching STEM concepts in classrooms, highway clean-up and more.
“Our employees also help at the Flagstaff Running Series each year, which benefits community organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters of Flagstaff and Northern Arizona Healthcare’s Children’s Health Center,” said Hansen. “One of the great things about having a high level of employee volunteerism is that as a company, we’re better able to recognize the needs that exist around us in our community and create a plan to answer those needs.”
Both organizations say the workforce atmosphere of volunteer support encourages employees to engage in community leadership positions by serving on boards of directors.
“Volunteering is a strong way our associates give back to the community,” said Kettering, “and it’s important to Gore to be active in our local communities and contribute in ways to strengthen them.” FBN
By Betsey Bruner, FBN
Courtesy Photo: Loven Contracting employee Jennifer Del Giorgio places packaged desserts into crates at a mobile food box delivery site.
