Starbucks to pay employees for charity work

Starbucks has kicked off a new employee engagement program designed to foster a culture of philanthropy at the company.

The coffee chain has selected 36 employees in 13 US cities who will devote half of their work week to a charity under the Starbucks Service Fellows program.

The first batch of volunteers, or service fellows, will be paid for the 20 hours they spend each week doing community service.

“Starbucks partners have a passion for service both in and out of their stores,” said Virginia Tenpenny, vice president of global social impact at Starbucks and executive director of The Starbucks Foundation.

“The program powers that passion through philanthropy and partnerships to have the greatest impact,” Tenpenny said.

Some 200 employees applied for the six-month initiative, which will run in partnership with non-profit volunteer group Points of Light.

The initiative aims to inspire greater community involvement among employees, while promoting a positive work experience in the company, she said.

“When employees are engaged in communities and they feel connected, they’re going to stay with Starbucks longer,” Tenpenny told CNN.

The charities taking part in the program promote the same social causes that Starbucks supports, from protecting the environment to supporting refugees. The volunteers hope to render 17,000 hours of charity work by February 2019.

The program is also designed to hone employees’ project management and community engagement abilities. These skills are deemed essential to the non-profit sector, the company said.