Dec 6, 2006-- A new and perhaps counter-intuitive trend in the business world? An increasing number of US companies are actually encouraging employees to volunteer their time. Some have even set up special departments to coordinate volunteer work and are hiring "volunteer coordinators" or "directors of community relations." Employees who choose to take part in such programs are given time off in exchange. Tim Riley, head of personnel at Forrester Research, a marketing firm that offers employees a day off for volunteer work, said he has noticed over the years that more and more people interviewing for a job ask whether the company has a volunteer program. "I think it reflects a shift in people, younger people that want to work in a company whose values are similar to their own." (2479 reads)