Volunteer leave: An overview of rights and regulations

Volunteer leave: An overview of rights and regulations

Volunteering is a pillar of society that is indispensable in many areas. Whether with the Volunteer Fire Department, the Technical Relief Organization (THW) or as an alderman — volunteer work contributes significantly to the common good. In order to promote this commitment, both legal regulations and individual company guidelines in Germany provide for exemptions for volunteer work. However, these regulations vary significantly depending on the federal state and company. This blog article provides an overview of the most important aspects of volunteer leave.

Statutory regulations

In Germany, there is no uniform federal law that regulates the exemption for all types of volunteer work. Instead, there are specific regulations for certain honorary posts and general laws at state level, which provide for exemption and, in some cases, continued payment of pay during absence from work.

Examples of legally regulated honorary positions:

• Volunteer Fire Department and Technical Relief Organization (THW): In many federal states, employers are required to release members of these organizations for the duration of assignments, continuing education or exercises. However, the rules on continued payment of wages vary. In some federal states, employers receive reimbursements from public funds for the period of time off.
• Aldermen and honorary judges: People who volunteer in the judiciary are usually entitled to exemption for the duration of their assignments. The rules on continued payment of pay are usually clear here and provide for compensation for loss of earnings.

Regulations by federal state

The specific conditions and requirements for exemption and the question of continued payment of wages are regulated in the respective state laws. While some federal states offer generous regulations that also include continued payment of remuneration in full, the regulations in other federal states are more restrictive.

company policies

In addition to legal requirements, many companies have recognized how important the volunteer work of their employees is for society. For this reason, they offer support that goes beyond legal requirements. These include, for example:

• Special leave for volunteer work: Some companies provide additional vacation days specifically for volunteer work.
• Flexible working hours: In order to make it easier to reconcile work and volunteer work, some employers offer flexible working time models.
• Financial support: In individual cases, there are also financial subsidies or full continued payment of the salary during the voluntary absence

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Rules in the case of corporate volunteering

In addition to traditional forms of leave of absence for volunteer work, corporate volunteering is becoming increasingly important. In doing so, companies encourage their employees to volunteer by specifically supporting projects and assignments as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy. This can range from one-day activities, such as renovating facilities for disadvantaged groups, to long-term partnerships with non-profit organizations.

Exemption as part of corporate volunteering

Many companies offer for Corporate volunteering special exemption regulations that go beyond legal requirements. These can range from paid days off for volunteer projects to flexible working time models that enable employees to get involved regularly during working hours. Such programs not only strengthen the common good, but also promote team spirit and employee satisfaction by giving employees the opportunity to work on issues that matter to them.

The specific structure of these exemptions varies from company to company. While some companies provide fixed quotas of days for volunteer work, others rely on flexible arrangements based on the individual commitment and needs of the supported organizations.

In some cases, the commitment of employees is supplemented not only by time off work, but also by financial support from the company. This can include direct donations for the projects employees are involved in, or matching programs where the company converts volunteer hours into financial contributions.

conclusion

Promoting volunteer work through leave of absence is an important tool for strengthening the willingness to take on such tasks. However, the regulations in Germany are varied and sometimes complex. Anyone who wants to volunteer should therefore find out in good time about the specific regulations in their federal state and the guidelines of their employer. Through the interplay of legal regulations and voluntary benefits provided by companies, a framework can be created that makes it possible to successfully reconcile work and volunteer work.

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Are you a company that is currently considering introducing corporate volunteering and releasing employees for volunteer work? Do you have a lot of questions or doubts? Don't hesitate to contact us We are experts in the area of corporate volunteering, have many practical examples of successful implementations in companies and are happy to advise you. Just write us a message. We look forward to hearing from you and helping you take the next step towards strategic sustainability.

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