Dubai: Giving back to the community has always been encouraged among societies, and as the saying goes: nobody can do everything, but everyone can do something.
The emirate of Dubai offers dozens of government-run volunteering programs, ranging from issues related to blindness and autism to education and breast cancer.
With the next global charity run, Wings for Life World Run, set to take place at Dubai Autodrome on May 8, Dubai will become part of the 34 cities around the world to raise funds to help find a cure for spinal cord injuries.
Ahead of the charity event, consultancy firms Archers and SWAT Research released a study on Wednesday, revealing that 60 per cent of employers from Dubai-based companies are prepared to give workers time off to give back to the community and support charitable causes.
Of these companies, 53 per cent will give up to two days off, 24 per cent up to four days off, and 12 per cent more than six days off, in order for team members to participate in corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes.
The study was carried out among 30 large-sized companies, which assessed the management roles of chief executives, and how they gauged employee’s morale by giving them time off to volunteer.
The survey also revealed that 67 per cent of employers associated volunteerism with giving back to the community, while half of respondents, at 50 per cent regarded it as a tool to empower human values. Self-satisfaction came in with just 23 per cent, signalling an overwhelming inclination to support charitable causes for social reasons.
When it comes to the level of participation, the study found that 33 per cent of employees were fully involved in companies’ CSR programmes, while 58 per cent were somewhat involved, and eight per cent were not involved at all.
The impact of CSR involvement, according to employers, increased positive morale at work and an increased sense of gratitude, 67 per cent and 63 per cent respectively, leading to a happier workplace.
