Volunteer Leave as Part of Employee Benefits
Ministry of ManpowerSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns Dr Wan Rizal’s inquiry on incorporating volunteer leave into standard human resource practices and whether the civil service will lead this initiative. Minister Josephine Teo replied that many progressive employers, including the civil service, already provide paid volunteer leave or organize service-oriented activities. She explained that mandating additional leave under the Employment Act requires balancing employee needs with business costs and the impact on worker employability. To support volunteerism, the Government offers a 250% tax deduction via the Business and IPC Partnership Scheme for expenses incurred when employees volunteer at Institutions of a Public Character. Resources for corporate volunteerism are also available to businesses through the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre’s Company of Good Portal and the Giving.sg platform.
Transcript
98 Dr Wan Rizal asked the Minister for Manpower (a) whether the Ministry will consider volunteer leave as part of employee benefits in future human resource practice; and (b) whether the civil service will consider paving the way for this effort to materialise soon.
Mrs Josephine Teo: Today, progressive employers, including the civil service, offer paid volunteer leave so that employees can take time off to volunteer in their individual capacities. There are also those that organise company or department-wide volunteering activities to foster a culture of service.
More leave mandated in the Employment Act will impact all businesses, regardless of their capacity to accommodate. There have also been calls to mandate additional leave for other needs, such as care-giving of aged parents, bereavement and to seek fertility treatment. Such statutory entitlements have to be carefully considered and prioritised, so as to strike a balance between employees’ needs and increased costs to employers as well as impact on these workers’ employability.
The Government, through several initiatives, has been encouraging employers to engage in volunteerism. With the Business and IPC Partnership Scheme (BIPS), employers enjoy 250% tax deduction on wages and related expenses when they organise or support their employees to volunteer and provide services at Institutions of a Public Character (IPCs), including secondments. Employers can also refer to the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre’s Company of Good Portal for resources on corporate volunteerism and the Giving.sg platform for volunteering opportunities.