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Several years ago, the Mercy health system repeatedly heard through co-worker feedback that associates want to benefit their community through volunteerism. But, given their busy work schedules, it can be very difficult to take the time to do so.

The Chesterfield, Missouri-based system is making it easier for employees to serve their community by offering a volunteer time off benefit. Both full- and part-time employees are eligible to take up to eight paid hours off annually, either individually or in groups.

Ayanna Pierce, Mercy vice president of benefits and talent relations, says, "Paid time off is golden — it's what co-workers value. We wanted to enhance paid time off, especially coming off the pandemic when employees couldn't take as much time off. But we wanted the new paid time off to be aligned with our mission, vision and values."

The benefit has been in place since 2022. Employees are finding numerous ways to volunteer in their communities. Pierce says, "We are getting to see service to the community in action."

Rare offering
Pierce says in the past, individual departments or units within Mercy allowed paid time off to volunteer, but there was no systemwide policy in place. When Mercy learned from co-worker feedback several years ago that staff would value this type of benefit, the system worked with its employee benefits committee and a benefits consultant to come up with a systemwide offering.

Research by Mercy and the benefits experts revealed that while some large retail and technology companies in the U.S. offer volunteer time off, it is uncommon in most business sectors. The Society for Human Resource Management's 2023 Employee Benefits Survey found that just 28% of employers allow paid time off for volunteering.

It's particularly unusual for health care systems to offer it, Pierce says. She says health care systems may be hesitant to put this benefit in place because they are 24/7 operations, and it is difficult to plan for and accommodate employees' time off requests. "We are blazing the trail," Pierce says.

The policy that Mercy began offering allows all employees to take up to eight hours a year off, with their manager's approval. Co-workers can take the time off during work hours to serve at local nonprofits or community events. Mercy encourages co-workers to report back on how they used the hours, so the system can share the stories of how associates are helping their communities.

Since the program began in January 2022, 5,637 Mercy employees have used 35,858 volunteer time off hours. More than 50,000 staff work at Mercy's 50-plus acute care and specialty hospitals and at the system's network of outpatient care sites. Mercy has a presence in Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas.

From weed clearing to party hosting
Pierce says it's been wonderful to see how much co-workers value this benefit and the many ways that they've chosen to help their communities. Some have served meals to people who are homeless, some have cleaned up roadsides, and some have walked dogs at an animal shelter.

One nursing team in Northwest Arkansas chose to volunteer as a group at Cobblestone Farms, a nonprofit that aids hungry people through sustainable farming. The Mercy volunteers helped clean out the farm's greenhouses in preparation for planting.

In Oklahoma City, a team of emergency department staff has been using their volunteer hours to throw birthday parties for kids who are homeless.

Pierce's department has volunteered at the Ronald McDonald house on a Mercy campus in St. Louis. Ronald McDonald houses accommodate families whose loved ones are hospitalized far from home. Pierce's department also has served at the Guardian Angels settlement agency and at the Urban League, both in St. Louis.

Bethany Pope, a Mercy media relations manager, says she and others in the eastern Missouri region's marketing, business development and communications department serve the Circle of Concern, a nonprofit based in suburban St. Louis that aids people who are impoverished through a food pantry and wrap-around services.

Win-win
Mercy has seen numerous upsides of its volunteer time off policy, especially when it comes to co-workers volunteering as a team.

The Northwest Arkansas team that served at the farm found it refreshing to be outside in the beautiful weather, doing something meaningful together, says Katelyn Beckmann, manager of nursing services for the cardiac unit at Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas.

CJ Barnhill, manager of nursing services for the emergency department at Mercy Hospital Oklahoma City, was part of the team that celebrated the birthdays of homeless kids. Barnhill says his team sees many people who are homeless come through the emergency department, so the group is "passionate about helping this population." Barnhill says when people are homeless "often the last thing on their mind is celebrating their birthday. There's something fulfilling about getting to make this day special again, and it's great that Mercy has a program that empowers co-workers to get involved."

When people are homeless "often the last thing on their mind is celebrating their birthday. There's something fulfilling about getting to make this day special again, and it's great that Mercy has a program that empowers co-workers to get involved." — CJ Barnhill

Pierce says volunteerism has promoted unity and togetherness, which is important in a ministry as large as Mercy, with some team members now working remotely. She notes that sometimes different departments have volunteered together, giving their respective team members an opportunity to get to know other associates and other units on a personal basis.

Pope says that volunteering helps her and her team get to know one another better as well as get to know the people in the organizations they serve better.

Pierce says for reasons like these, the volunteer time off benefit "has been a huge satisfier that goes a long way" when it comes to employee retention.

Smiling faces
Nancy Bauer is director of volunteer services for Circle of Concern, one of the nonprofits that Pope's team has served using volunteer time off. Circle of Concern is a food pantry that prides itself on offering a wide variety of items and letting clients shop for what they want. Circle of Concern also offers mentorship, mental health counseling, scholarships and other aid.

Pope and other marketing and communications department members have served at the pantry about a half dozen times in the past two years. Bauer notes that Circle of Concern does not allow just anyone to handle the donated items in the pantry, because it takes skill to learn all of Circle of Concerns' protocols, including to remove expired or damaged items from inventory. The Mercy team has earned the nonprofit's trust and is now allowed in its "inner sanctum," says Bauer. "Circle welcomes the Mercy group because they know our standards and expectations and seamlessly join the warehouse team to sort items and get them on the shelves for our clients much quicker."

"This group really wants to be here," she says. "When they come, it makes our day fun — they are a special team. We love to see their giant smiles!"

Bauer notes that the Mercy team's support has done a lot to help Circle of Concern provide much-needed aid. "We can't do this alone," says Bauer, and the volunteer help that Mercy provides "is a really big deal."

See more photos of Mercy Health volunteers serving their communities.