Nearly half of 2,000 U.S. workers participating in a recently published Banfield Pet Hospital survey said that volunteering helped improve their mental well-being.
Among the key findings were:
- 22% have access to paid volunteering opportunities.
- 42% consider volunteering a crucial self-care tool.
- 48% said volunteering made them happier.
- 48% said volunteering improved their mental well-being.
- 33% said volunteering reduced their stress.
- 63% said they are more motivated now to volunteer than two years ago.
- 80% said current events harm their well-being.
“Banfield associates have been making time to volunteer outside our hospitals for more than a decade, and they’ve told us what our new survey illustrates: volunteering in service of others feeds their why,” said Mony Iyer, Banfield Pet Hospital’s president.
Findings from employees with access to paid volunteer programs included:
- 35% reported they were encouraged to remain with their company.
- 34% indicated that they felt proud to work for their employer.
- 33% expressed an enhanced overall perception of their employer.
- 31% mentioned that the program positively affects their mental well-being.
- 36% said they forged stronger connections with their colleagues.
Findings from Banfield employees who recently volunteered included:
- 86% reported a heightened sense of purpose in their work.
- 95% expressed that being a Banfield associate instills a sense of pride.
- 86% felt a deeper connection with their colleagues.
Banfield expanded its Banfield Gives Back program in 2024 to include paid volunteering for its 19,000-plus associates, making the program the largest of its kind in the veterinary industry.
“We expanded our Banfield Gives Back program and implemented paid volunteering to make it easier than ever for associates to create time and space to further connect with their purpose,” Iyer said.