EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT AND VOLUNTEERISM FAQs
What Is Employee Engagement and Volunteerism?
• Employee Engagement and Volunteerism is an important part of RWJBarnabas Health’s mission and is a key pillar of the organization’s Social Impact and Community Investment practice. The program aims to galvanize employees to use their skills and interests to improve community health, wellbeing and quality of life in our local communities.
Why Is RWJBarnabas Health including this effort in its Social Impact practice?
• The SICI practice seeks to engage and develop a group of volunteers who deploy professional expertise and passion to community organizations that align strategically with our Social Impact priority intervention areas and address key social determinants of health issues.
RWJBarnabas Health’s New Volunteerism Initiative
Why is RWJBarnabas Health launching a volunteerism initiative?
• Research shows that employees want to work for companies that care and volunteer programs are a great way to engage and retain employees. When strategically integrated with the organization’s goals and values, volunteerism opportunities and giving back gives employees a sense of purpose and makes them feel more connected to the community and the organization’s social impact efforts. Volunteerism also provides employees a platform to put their skillsets and abilities to use and develop professional skills. Through volunteerism employees also have additional opportunities to take on leadership roles outside of their current job scope and network with colleagues across the system1.
What is the RWJBH volunteerism initiative?
• RWJBH has decided to reward and recognize volunteerism efforts. Many employees are already volunteering through partnerships at their facilities or through their own communities. This program will be a way for employees to track the hours dedicated to giving back and also inspire others to become more involved. RWJBH has partnered with Jersey Cares, a non-profit organization that recruits and engages volunteers, to manage this initiative and provide one centralized landing page for information and tracking of employees’ hours. Hours earned for volunteerism will be assigned specific point values to reflect the volunteer activity (point values are on page 4). For more information, visit https://www.jerseycares.org/rwjbh. Employees will receive points for certain volunteerism efforts. Those with the highest points at the end of the year will be recognized.
• While the overall goal is to engage employees to give back to our local communities with acts of service, the Social Impact and Community practice has set a target goal of 35,000 volunteer hours for the system to achieve over the course of the year. This number was derived as it would average to about one hour per employee.
Who is eligible to participate in the RWJBH Volunteerism initiative?
• All RWJBarnabas Health employees who are in good-standing can participate.
When does this initiative kick off and when can I volunteer?
• Each volunteerism calendar year will kick off with Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and will culminate the following year when there will be a ceremony as part of the MLK Week of Service events.
• The 2020 program will start on January 20, 2020 and end December 31, 2020.
• Employees can volunteer on their own time that works best for their schedules. For service events that are held at an RWJBH facility, employees should speak with their supervisor regarding that specific event and if paid time off is required.
Will employees get paid to volunteer?
• No, employees do not get paid to volunteer. If service events are scheduled to be on-site at a facility, employees should speak with their direct supervisor regarding the use of time and may be required to use paid time off (PTO).
• Employees will, however, be able to receive points for certain volunteer activities based on hours served and type of volunteerism.
How to Participate
How Do Employees Participate?
• RWJBarnabas Health has partnered with Jersey Cares, a New Jersey-based non-profit that acts as our institution’s intermediary to enhance our volunteer efforts throughout the state.
• To participate in the RWJBH volunteerism initiative, employees must first register with Jersey Cares and identify that you are a RWJBH employee. Once registered, the employees can then visit the designated RWJBH landing page at https://www.jerseycares.org/rwjbh to learn more about volunteerism, the Social Impact priority intervention areas, how to engage in service events, and receive points for their hours volunteered.
• Any employee can take on a leadership role and become a Volunteer Leader and organize a service event for others. More information on how to become a service project leader is available here: https://www.jerseycares.org/RWJBH-ENGAGE
Where can I volunteer?
• There are three different ways employees can find and engage in service events:
- Volunteer for a service event organized through a RWJBH facility that benefits an outside non-profit (i.e. the MLK Week of Service);
- Volunteer for a service event listed on the Jersey Cares calendar of events;
- Volunteer through any organization of your choosing.
• Volunteering for events that directly benefit the organization such as health fairs are not eligible for purposes of this program.
• Each modality may require additional action of the employee to ensure the hours are tracked and points received.
• The type of service project and your role in the project will affect how many points per hour you receive and how to report your hours.
What kind of events count as volunteerism in this initiative?
• Acts of service that can earn volunteerism points are ones in which an employee volunteers time and skills to a program or organization that serves vulnerable communities and is outside of their current job scope. Some example scenarios are below:
I coach my daughter’s Little League, can I earn volunteerism points?
While it is great that employees may be serving their communities in this way, points are not rewarded when the service directly benefits family members. Coaching a team in a vulnerable community that does not directly benefit a family member would earn points.
I am a Big Brother/Big Sister and spend time with my “Little.” Can I earn volunteerism points?
Yes!
I sit on a committee at work that is outside of my job scope. Can I earn volunteerism points?
Thank you for going above and beyond your job responsibilities, however this does not count as volunteerism for this program’s purposes.
I sit on a committee for an art program for the elderly and disabled. Can I earn points?
Yes!
I donated to a toy/food drive. Will I get points?
Your generosity and donations are greatly appreciated, however this would not earn points in this program as the focus is acts of services.
I work at Jersey City Medical Center and my facility is doing an event with another organization to serve the community. Will I get points?
Yes! And your SICI site lead will issue points within 7-10 days of the event.
I work at Saint Barnabas Medical Center and I bring my dog over as a pet therapy dog/or volunteer to cuddle the new born babies on my day off. Will I earn points?
Thank you for supporting our facilities, however this type of volunteerism does not earn points for purposes of this program.
• When in doubt, contact your SICI site lead or the Social Impact and Community Investment corporate office at SICI@rwjbh.org to confirm if your volunteerism hours are eligible for points, or contact Jersey Cares directly at info@jerseycares.org. The SICI site leads, along with their email addresses, can be found at the end of this document.
Do employees have to participate in their region/at their facility?
• Employees are not restricted to participating in events within their region or location.
Do I have to register to participate in a volunteer event?
• For service events at RWJBH, it will vary per site and event. Employees should contact the SICI site lead for more information.
• For service events organized by Jersey Cares, registration is required.
• For service of the employee’s own choosing – this will vary on the organization’s specific requirements.
Is there a fee when registering for a volunteer event?
• There should not be any fees to participate as a volunteer in any of the events.
What should employees wear to volunteer?
• Employees should dress appropriately for the activity, especially for off-site, hands-on activities. Connect with your site specific SICI lead for more information or email SICI@RWJBH.org.
How does Volunteerism integrate with other RWJBH programs?
• BHealthy: 100 BHealthy points (in the activity category) will be rewarded to all employees who volunteer eight hours.
• Recognizing You: Employees may receive points, tokens or posts throughout the year.
The Points
How many points will I receive for volunteering?
The points have been established to give value to the type of hours volunteered:
• 1 point per hour of eligible volunteerism
• 2 points per hour if the volunteerism event supports one of the SICI priority intervention areas
• 3 points per hour if you are the project lead on the service event
• 5 points if you sit on a non-profit Board or Junior Board
o Board points are only issued once, regardless if you sit on more than one Board (i.e. – if you sit on three Boards, you will still only receive five points total for your contributions)
How do I receive my points for the volunteering?
• For a service event organized by RWJBH, your SICI site lead will validate your participation and assign points accordingly.
• For a service event organized and offered by Jersey Cares, points will be automatically given.
• For service at a non-profit of an employee’s own choosing, employees will need to notify the Jersey Cares team who will then validate the organization/hours volunteered and assign points accordingly.
Can I track my points?
• Yes, employees can view points on the Jersey Cares log in page: https://www.jerseycares.org/.
• Employees are responsible for connecting with their SICI site leads and Jersey Cares to ensure all their volunteerism hours are accurately reflected.
When can I expect to see my points?
• Most employees will see their points reflected on the Reward page on the Jersey Cares’ designated RWJBH landing page within 7-10 days.
• Employees who volunteer at an organization of their own choosing (not listed on the Jersey Cares calendar or hosted by RWJBH) will be required to self-report to the Jersey Cares team. Once reported to Jersey Cares, employees should allow for the regular 7-10 day turnaround time.
I volunteered at a local non-profit on my own accord, why don’t I see my points?
• Employees who volunteer with a non-profit of their own choosing need to have their service validated by Jersey Cares in order to earn points.
• After volunteering, employees should call 973-533-1993 or email info@jerseycares.org and provide the contact information for the organization and how many hours they volunteered.
• The Jersey Cares team will then validate the organization and assign points accordingly in the 7-10 timeframe.
What is the reward for volunteering?
• All employees who volunteer 8 hours will receive 100 BHealthy points.
• The volunteers and service project leaders from each facility with the most points at the end of the year will be recognized with the RWJBH Community Investment Award at a ceremony with senior leadership and receive system-wide recognition.
• The top 5 employees with the most points from each site will be recognized and rewarded with a small token.
• Employees may receive Recognizing You points or tokens throughout the year.
MLK Week of Service
Will I get points for the MLK Week of Service?
• Employees who participate in the MLK Week of Service volunteer opportunities will be awarded points for their hours of service.
What is the MLK Day of Service?
• MLK Day was established to commemorate the timeless values taught by Dr. King and was first celebrated in 1986 (having been established in 1983 by President Reagan). In 1994, Congress passed the King Holiday and Service Act, designating the Martin Luther King, Jr. Federal Holiday as a national day of service.
• The MLK Day of Service is the only federal holiday observed as a national day of service – a "day on, not a day off."
• Dr. King once said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’“
Points of Contact
Who should I contact if I have any questions regarding the volunteerism initiative?
• Questions regarding points or volunteerism events on the Jersey Cares calendar:
Jersey Cares at 973-533-1933 or info@jerseycares.org
• General questions regarding the volunteerism initiative or RWJBH site-specific volunteer events:
Social Impact and Community Investment practice at SICI@rwjbh.org
The SICI site leads:
| FACILITY | Leads and Co-Leads |
| Behavioral Health Center | Christine Belluardo |
| Behavioral Health Center | Shari Beirne |
| Children's Specialized Hospital | Victoria Gregorio |
| Clara Maass Medical Center | Sarah Bonilla |
| Community Medical Center | Dr. Kubiel |
| Community Medical Center | Keri Britske |
| Institute for Prevention | Lynda Lloyd |
| Institute for Prevention | Michelle Garcia |
| Jersey City Medical Center | Sharnia Williams |
| Jersey City Medical Center | Whitney Bracco |
| Monmouth Medical Center | Jean McKinney |
| Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus | Kelly Anne DeLeon |
| Newark Beth Israel Medical Center | Kim Cook |
| RWUH Rahway | Donna Mancuso |
| RWJUH Hamilton | Diane Grillo |
| RWJUH Hamilton | Lauren Stabinsky |
| RWJUH New Brunswick | Camilla Comer-Carruthers |
| RWJUH New Brunswick | Mariam Merced |
| RWJUH Somerset | Serena Collado |
| Saint Barnabas Medical Center | Margie Heller |
