EXPANDING workplace volunteering opportunities to cover all employees in the UK could generate billions in economic gains (£1.2 billion – £3.6 billion per year in wellbeing benefits to individuals, £1.6 billion – £2.8 billion per year in improved net productivity)
Ensuring all employees have access to volunteering opportunities could save between 1.4 million and 2.5 million working days of sickness absence.

Workplace volunteering has the potential to boost productivity, improve employees’ wellbeing, and generate billions for the UK economy, according to a new report by Pro Bono Economics (PBE).1

The report – ‘Triple dividend: How workplace volunteering can make us happier, healthier and more productive’ – which has been produced for business volunteering charity Pilotlight, found that net productivity gains of between £1.6 billion – £2.8 billion could be unlocked for the UK economy by expanding workplace volunteering opportunities.2

PBE’s analysis revealed that 17 – 23 million employees currently do not have access to workplace volunteering, and so are missing out on the health benefits of volunteering and the opportunities to learn new skills. By expanding workplace volunteering opportunities to cover all employees in the UK, the current untapped potential could generate £1.2 billion – £3.6 billion in wellbeing benefits per year to the individuals themselves.

It could also reduce levels of absenteeism, with research showing that participation in a workplace volunteering scheme provides an average reduction in absence of around 0.9 days per year for each member of staff volunteering.3 The number of days that employees have taken off work due to illness has risen sharply since the pandemic, with 186 million lost alone in 2022, an increase of more than a third over the 2019 level. The total cost of sickness absence to UK employers was around £24 billion – roughly equivalent to the GDP generated by Newcastle – or £6.4 billion higher than if absence rates stayed at the 2019 level.4

Turning to the productivity benefit overall, the PBE report points to studies which have suggested the productivity impact of workplace volunteering is sizeable, with high-skilled individuals who volunteer experiencing an estimated £2,300 boost to earnings. If the estimated productivity increase was applied to all the 1.4 – 2.5 million additional volunteers who participated from workplace volunteering to all employees, it could provide a gross productivity increase of between £2.2 billion and £3.9 billion.

Even after deducting the costs of lost time and administration fees for volunteering schemes, the productivity benefits could amount to net productivity gains of between £1.5 billion and £2.8 billion to the UK economy.5

There is a clear appetite from employees from the expansion of workplace volunteering. Analysis by NCVO suggests that between one quarter and a third of employees will take advantage of workplace volunteering when it’s available. This means that between 1.5 million and 2.8 million additional people might volunteer if workplace volunteering schemes were expanded across all employers.

While boost workplace volunteering would have some costs to the employer, the benefits more than outweigh those costs. For the employer, workplace volunteering schemes such as those run by Pilotlight which bring businesses and charities together could deliver between £1.50 and £3.60 of benefits for every £1 spent.

To make the most of the opportunity, research by the charity has suggested that employers should take steps to help employees around the options for volunteering. More than a third of employees surveyed (38%) said that an obstacle to volunteering is a lack of guidance from their employer. Of those currently involved in workplace volunteering, 79% believe that businesses themselves benefit from the practice.6

The benefits also have the potential to positively impact on communities, at a time when they are in need of extra support. Three in ten (30%) charities reporting increased rates of staff burnout as they struggle with the triple challenge of rising demand, difficulties recruiting volunteers and challenges with recruitment. This is particularly true of small charities, with almost six in ten (59%) reporting that recruiting volunteers is a major concern for them following a long-term decline in volunteer participation rates.8

Dr Jansev Jemal, Director of Research and Policy at Pro Bono Economics, said: “Increasing access to workplace volunteering opportunities has a triple dividend, as it could boost productivity and unlock billions in the UK economy, while providing much needed support for charities. In addition to wellbeing for employees, there’s a compelling, hard-nosed business case for considering workplace volunteering, including boosts to health and skills.

“As businesses take up this opportunity, there is a need to be realistic about the challenges for the charities themselves. Using volunteers effectively takes resources to manage, oversee and support those that are giving up their time. Businesses and other funders will need to consider how they can benefit by supporting the underlying costs of volunteering programmes, rather than assuming that an offer of time alone will suffice.”

Ed Mayo, Chief Executive of Pilotlight, said: “When it comes to business and charity, these results change everything – volunteering is not a cost, it is an investment. It is good for charity, good for the volunteer and good for the bottom line.

At the heart of this, in the partnerships we have designed with a range of leading businesses, is how employees develop their skills as they deploy them in a radically different setting. In future, it will not be the PR or corporate affairs department that leads on employee volunteering, but HR leaders who see it as an integral part of their toolkit for developing talent and skills.”

Jack Kidder, Responsible Business Manager at Henry Boot PLC, said: “At Henry Boot, we know that volunteering empowers our people to dedicate their time, skills, and passion for the benefit of our communities. This is not only impactful for charities, but also hugely beneficial for our business. Volunteering their time allows our people to connect with issues they care about in the communities in which we work and live. It creates a genuine sense of purpose and cohesion as our people come together to make a real difference for others – whether through inspiring learners, supporting communities, restoring habitats, or sharing knowledge. Volunteering enables our people to develop their skills and experience the positive wellbeing effects associated with helping others. This use of our time is helping shape our evolving culture as we celebrate being a long-term sustainable business that genuinely cares for the communities we work with, while we create exciting new places across the UK.”

Alexandra Berry, Head of Sustainability at the Strand Palace Hotel said: “Our team love to get involved in team-building hikes, red nose days, wellbeing walks, ‘Wear it Pink’ days, charity runs, bingo nights, themed quizzes, clothing donation drives, as well as offering our team a paid volunteering day each year. Feedback from our team has expressed these community events provide socialisation and relaxation outside of the hotel alongside contribution to a charitable cause, of which they are passionate about supporting.

“In 2023, the team raised over £3,000 through 8 local fundraising activities. What’s more, we have a regular commitment with The Connection at St Martins for our team members to volunteer to spend time with The Connection’s guests in their art room. With arts, crafts and chatting, the visits from the Strand Palace team help to build the guests’ confidence and social skills, providing a creative outlet away from the stress of being homeless.”

RWE has announced plans to establish a state-of-the-art green hydrogen facility next to the Pembroke Power Station.

The proposed project will see the construction of a 110 MWe electrolyser plant capable of producing approximately two tonnes of hydrogen per hour, a cleaner alternative energy source that promises to significantly reduce carbon emissions in the area.

Starting Monday, RWE will open a pre-application consultation, inviting local residents and stakeholders to share their insights and opinions on the plans. This consultation period will conclude on 20 May 2024. Interested parties are encouraged to review the details and submit their feedback online, ensuring community input is integrated into the development process.

The hydrogen produced at the Pembroke Green Hydrogen plant will serve as a vital component in reducing reliance on fossil fuels for local industries, substituting them with a cleaner option that produces only oxygen as a by-product. With the capacity to cut approximately 93,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually—equivalent to removing 18,600 cars from the road—the facility aligns with the UK Government’s target of achieving 6 GW of green hydrogen production by 2030.

Richard Little, Director of the Pembroke Net Zero Centre, emphasized the importance of local support for the initiative: “To secure the future of industry in South Wales, and safeguard local jobs, we need to provide clean energy alternatives, locally. Our proposals for green hydrogen generation will do just that, helping to reduce CO2 emissions in local industrial activities by approximately 93,000 tonnes every year.”

RWE’s vision for the Pembroke Net Zero Centre, where the plant will be located, includes a diverse array of sustainable technologies, such as battery energy storage systems and floating offshore wind. The development is expected to bolster Pembrokeshire’s economy by preserving existing jobs and creating new opportunities through the construction and operational phases of the project.

Community members are invited to contact the project team, provide feedback via the project website, or arrange private discussions to further understand the project’s scope and impacts. This consultation offers a crucial opportunity for residents to influence a project that stands to reshape the region’s industrial landscape while advancing towards a sustainable future.

RWE, the UK’s largest power producer and a leader in renewable energy generation, continues to expand its green hydrogen capabilities across the country, targeting 2GW of electrolyser capacity in its core markets by 2030.

THE Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has fined Cardiff-based Outsource Strategies Ltd (OSL) £240,000 and London-based Dr Telemarketing Ltd (DRT) £100,000 after the companies made a total of almost 1.43 million calls to people on the UK’s “do not call” register, the Telephone Preference Service (TPS).

The calls, all made between 11 February 2021 and 22 March 2022, resulted in 76 complaints to the ICO and the TPS. People who complained said the callers were aggressive and used high-pressure sales tactics to persuade them to sign up for products. The ICO investigation also found evidence that both companies were specifically targeting elderly and vulnerable people.

Andy Curry, ICO Head of Investigations, said: “All the people targeted by these nuisance calls should not have been called in the first place. They had all taken action to protect themselves by registering with the UK’s “do not call” register.

“It is unacceptable they were repeatedly interrupted and subjected to aggressive and unpleasant marketing, particularly as some of the victims told us they were people with vulnerabilities. I would like to thank those who took the time to report to us, as this helped our investigation to bring these two companies to account.

“All companies engaging in direct marketing should take note. If you flout the law, you can expect the ICO to use the full force of its regulatory powers against you.

“And, as in this case, it doesn’t matter how complicated the network of companies and individuals are, we will work through the evidence to find and take action against the perpetrators of these unlawful calls to protect the public.”

Details of the unwanted calls: “My husband took the call. He has communication difficulties – he is vulnerable and doesn’t understand not to answer the telephone. I suspect he has been sold stuff by these companies in the past. For health reasons, I need to stop them ringing …”

“We’ve requested numerous times to be taken off the list but to no avail. The telephone number today is one of several different numbers that they use. This has now become harassment of two senior citizens.”

“Tried to get me to join the Irish lottery and probably wanted my bank details. It made me annoyed and … anxious. I’m getting sick up to the back teeth of these types of calls. I even get them on my UNLISTED [sic] number.”

“… He had all my personal details which he said he had got from [redacted] … He was trying to persuade me to buy cut-price lottery tickets for the Irish Lottery … I said I would not give any card details over the phone as I had no way of checking where he was calling from. I asked him to send me an email so I could carry out due diligence on this offer and the company. He said he could not do that unless I bought the tickets first. I was not prepared to do this and so ended the call. When I checked the number, Google seemed to suggest this number is associated with a scam company. I was concerned because [redacted] … target older people who could get confused and be talked into something like this more easily.”

Details of each fine

Outsource Strategies Ltd, based in Cardiff, made 1,346,503 unwanted marketing calls between 11 February 2021 and 22 March 2022 to numbers registered with the TPS. The ICO received 74 complaints from people variously saying they received repeated calls despite requests to stop and that the callers were aggressive.

During the investigation, OSL blamed TPS screening responsibility on its contracted partners and stated it also had internal systems in place to ensure this did not happen. The ICO found this to be incorrect, as 141,914 calls were still made to people marked as “do not call” on its own systems.

The investigation also uncovered that OSL Directors were involved with a separate company previously fined by the ICO. OSL has also been issued with an enforcement notice. OSL has appealed the monetary penalty notice and the enforcement notice.

Dr Telemarketing Ltd, based in London, made 80,240 unwanted marketing calls between 11 February 2021 and 22 March 2022 to numbers registered with the TPS. A total of two complaints were received. The highly exploitative unwanted calls were all made regarding Lotto Express and were targeted at vulnerable people to maximise profit.

During the investigation, the ICO uncovered what appeared to be a network of five people and eight companies all involved in deliberately making the unwanted calls. DRT argued opt-in details were supplied by its business partner and screening was provided by another company. The ICO found there was no mechanism in place to identify and mitigate against making unwanted calls and that screening was not contracted to cover all the data providers involved.

Despite repeated attempts to communicate with the company, DRT stopped engaging with the ICO during the investigation and failed to provide a satisfactory explanation for the Lotto Express calls. DRT has also been issued with an enforcement notice. DRT has not paid the fine or appealed the notice therefore the ICO is commencing financial recovery action.

ICO’s work to tackle nuisance communications 

The ICO enforces the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR), which cover the rules for organisations wishing to make direct marketing calls, texts or emails. 

The ICO’s direct marketing guidance makes it clear that organisations acquiring marketing lists from a third party must undertake rigorous checks to satisfy themselves that the personal information was obtained fairly and lawfully. Organisations must:

explain to people why they want to use their information;
tell people if they will share information with other organisations; and
make people aware of their data protection rights.
The ICO has issued more than £2.59 million in fines against companies responsible for nuisance calls, texts and emails since April 2023. Some of these investigations began with a single complaint from a member of the public. 

For more information about the ICO’s work to tackle nuisance calls, emails and texts visit ico.org.uk/nuisancecalls. 

Advice for the public 

To help you, your friends and relatives stop receiving unlawful marketing calls, texts or emails you can: 

Register landlines and mobile numbers with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) and the Corporate Telephone Preference Service (CTPS) free of charge. The TPS and CTPS is a register used by legitimate marketing companies to identify people and businesses that have said they don’t want to receive marketing calls. Alternatively, you can tell the company directly that you do not wish to be contacted. 
Report the receipt of unsolicited marketing text messages received on your mobile to the Mobile UK’s Spam Reporting Service by forwarding the message to 7726. 
Refer concerns that you or someone you know has been the victim of fraud to Action Fraud (in England, Northern Ireland and Wales) and Police Scotland (in Scotland). You can refer wider concerns about a business’ practices to Trading Standards. Report any abandoned calls that you receive to Ofcom. 
Ask your telephone network about call blocking solutions they may be able to offer. Many of these services are provided free of charge.
Report nuisance calls, texts or emails to the ICO via our website.