At Centerspace, we believe in Serving Others, especially in the communities in which we operate. To encourage our team members to actively participate in the betterment of their communities, we provide paid volunteer leave. Centerspace is committed to its role as a good corporate citizen and believes that providing paid leave time for volunteering fosters a sense of community spirit and involvement among team members, as well as benefitting the team member, the community, and Centerspace as a whole.
Regular full-time team members are eligible for up to 4 days of normal paid work time, available to be used in any increment up to a maximum of 32 hours, within every calendar year to participate in an approved community service activity. Newly hired full-time team members will receive a pro-rated amount of paid volunteer leave based on the quarter in which they are hired: 4 days if hired in 1st Quarter, 3 days if hired in 2nd Quarter, 2 days if hired in 3rd Quarter, and 1 day if hired in 4th Quarter.
Regular part-time team members are eligible for up to 8 hours of paid work time within every calendar year, available to be used in any increment, to participate in an approved community service activity. If a part-time team member exhausts their 8 hours of volunteer leave, special consideration may be given for additional paid leave for participation in team volunteer or company-sponsored volunteer events.
Additionally, regular full-time team members are eligible for and may volunteer up to 1 day of normal paid work time, available to be used in any increment, to participate in nonpartisan, non-paid service facilitating voting (voter registration, election judging, providing service at polling venues, etc.) within 30 days prior to any national, state, or local election in the community in which the team member lives. Part-time team members may be eligible for up to 4 days of normal paid work time within every calendar year if they are participating in a Centerspace-sponsored team volunteer event. The time and activity must be approved by the team member’s manager prior to the activity. When possible, this time should be requested and scheduled at least 2 weeks in advance to allow for scheduling adjustments if needed, and volunteer leave must be coded appropriately in the team member’s timecard. This benefit will continue as long as it does not place an undue hardship upon the employer and that the team member’s work performance does not decline.
To be eligible for paid volunteer leave, the service must be non-paid and benefit the community, environment, a charitable organization, etc. Team members must not receive any tangible benefits in exchange for their time and/or efforts. Volunteer work with religious or political organizations for exclusively religious or political purposes will not be eligible for this program. Community, charitable, and social services run by religious organizations may still be eligible (food banks, soup kitchens, etc.).
Eligible organizations are often structured as 501(c)(3) organizations under the Internal Revenue Code. In general, eligible activities should be for the common good or public interest and improve the quality of life and/or help those in need. Please contact Talent & Culture if you or your manager have any questions on what is considered eligible community service.
Volunteer Leave is a company-offered benefit and is not subject to carryover or payout upon termination, or any payment in lieu of Volunteer Leave.
Also found in the Centerspace Team Member Handbook.