QUIZ:  What's your Volunteer Type

How is this for a happy scenario: You would like to get out of the office for half a day and spend some time volunteering in your community. So you approach your boss and request to head out for awhile to go plant trees or help at the soup kitchen. Your boss, rather than laughing you out of her office, replies, "Sure! See you this afternoon."

Turns out, that scenario might not be so radical after all, thanks to a study that has found companies gain by allowing employees to volunteer in place of working every so often since they come back happier, more productive employees.

It seems like such a simple connection: knowing that your company supports you helping your community makes you more dedicated to your job while you're in the office, both out of appreciation for the company as well as simply feeling more joyful in your own life. Plus, volunteering becomes less of a conflict with work and the rest of one's life. There's less stress for fitting in volunteering in between your last meeting at work and making dinner for the kids, or trying to shove an hour of community service into your lunch hour.
Researchers found that employees who volunteered were more likely to work harder on and focus better on tasks, speak positively about their employer in public, and even take less time off work in the long run.
Study results like these could help bolster the numbers of Americans volunteering. About 27% of Americans donate time to a nonprofit, and 35% of US companies have a formal volunteer program. Imagine how much more could be accomplished nationwide if these numbers were doubled.