Pitt staff take paid time off to volunteer

Shannon Fink and Erica Carson typically work behind a desk, but on Friday, they swapped out their keyboards for paint brushes while volunteering at People’s Oakland, a local recovery and wellness nonprofit. 

On the first of two Signature Days of Service connected to Pitt Civic Action Week, Fink and Carson were among dozens of University staff members who lent their help to community organizations across Pittsburgh. 

Volunteering hasn’t always been this accessible to staff, but a Pitt policy implemented at the start of last year allows them to take paid time off for service work — up to 7.5 hours per month for full-time staff, prorated for part-timers based on their weekly hours.

“I would love to see how I can continue to help here,” Fink, the operations manager for the Center for Creativity said. “One day a month is pretty feasible…if you can fit it into the busy schedule.”

The latest policy replaced a temporary, pandemic-era allowance of eight volunteer hours per week and release time for career-related workshops and seminars. 

To take advantage of the policy, staff must first check in with their supervisors and log their volunteer hours in PittWorx. Staff can also use this time for professional development activities. 

The isolation of remote work led to an organic rise in staff volunteerism — these policies were simply a response, according to Gabrielle DeMarchi, ​​assistant director of community affairs in the Office of Engagement and Community Affairs. 

“I think there was that collective desire to get connected to the community and serve your neighbors,” DeMarchi said. 

Local community organizations appreciate the benefits too. Josh Harris, the intake coordinator at People’s Oakland, said the nonprofit simply wouldn’t have the time to freshen up the place otherwise. 

“We don’t get the time throughout the year to fix things up and make it look pretty,” Harris said. “It might not last for a while, but at least we get it done and put some care back into the building, because we beat it up all year.”

The idea for paid time off to undertake volunteer work dates back to at least 2016, according to Caitlin McCullough, another volunteer at People’s Oakland and the staff council parliamentarian. After working its way through multiple committees, a proposal similar to the current policy passed council in 2018.  

The demand existed for years, and now staff volunteerism is on the rise. Approximately 800 staff members contributed 2,253 hours of service in Fiscal Year 2023, compared to 479 staff members for 1,395 hours the fiscal year prior. 

It’s “the more the merrier” for DeMarchi, who hopes to connect a greater number of staff to volunteer opportunities going forward. 

Carson, who’s worked at Pitt for four years, most recently as the operations manager for the School of Medicine, only recently found out about the option to take paid time off for volunteering. 

“I think that it could be highlighted a little bit more,” Carson said. 

DeMarchi recommends staff sign up for the Office of Engagement and Community Affairs’ biweekly newsletter and browse the PittServes database to stay up to date on volunteer opportunities. She added that individual departments can contact the office to help coordinate opportunities that don’t match up with the Signature Days of Service. 

“What’s we’ve heard…is not only is it a good time to get out into the community, connect with your neighbors, serve a good organization that probably needs the support, but it’s also a time to connect with your fellow colleagues,” DeMarchi said.