Celebrating #PayItForward Day with 4,425 volunteer hours (and climbing!)

Giving back is at Payworks’ core; in fact, we’re honoured to support more than 200 organizations across Canada through local sponsorship, volunteering, investment, and employee-initiated giving. And given that today is Global Pay it Forward Day, we’re proudly shining a spotlight on just a few of our generous team members and how they’ve chosen to give back.

Our Pay it Forward (PIF) Day program started back in November 2015, enabling our staff to take off one calendar day per year to volunteer at a not-for-profit of their choice. In September 2020, we enhanced some of our employee benefits and as a result added an additional PIF Day – meaning our staff receive two paid days off every year to donate their valuable time and talent to organizations about which they’re passionate.

Now, almost a decade later, what really gives us all the feels is being able to say just how many hours have been used to give back through the PIF program *drum roll*…

Since its inception, our staff have volunteered a total of 4,425 hours through the PIF program, with almost 40% of those hours taking place last year alone! We believe that donating our time is the most rewarding way we can spend it. All of the high-fives and gratitude go out to each and every one of our staff for making our communities a better place.

“There was so much to take part in at the Tim Horton’s where I volunteered for Camp Day,” explains Payworks Client Service Representative Margaret Windsor. “The highlight for me was one customer who came into the restaurant and told me of a friend of hers whose son went to this camp, along with the amazing memories that were created for him that will last his entire life. She said it was such an amazing experience for him.”

Margaret used one of her 2023 PIF Days to volunteer at Camp Day and her other to get behind the counter at a local McDonald’s Restaurant to volunteer at McHappy Day.

“The high fives that the crew were handing out were contagious,” says Margaret of her experience at McHappy Day. “It was such an amazing experience to support a local charity that helps children in need across Canada.”

 

Photo: Partnerships Service Support Lead Emily Peters and Client Service Representative Margaret Windsor behind the counter volunteering at McHappy Day.

We love receiving feedback from our team about the highlights of their PIF Days, and we also love when members of our crew split those hours up in different ways. Five members of our Quality Assurance team each used half a PIF Day to volunteer at Koats for Kids last year. While they didn’t use all of their PIF Day at one event, they collectively fulfilled more than 20 orders during their volunteer shift!

“We left with a happy feeling knowing that we contributed in helping some kids staying safe from the harsh winter,” says Payworks Quality Assurance Analyst Amarjeet Sharma – who actually volunteered twice at Koats for Kids last year. “It was a heartwarming experience on both occasions. Contributing to this noble cause felt incredibly rewarding, knowing that our efforts would provide warm clothes to those children in need, ensuring that no child misses school due to the cold weather. It was truly inspiring to learn about the meticulous coordination efforts of Koats for Kids, and their dedication to delivering warm clothes to various schools and community centres.”

Photo: Quality Assurance Analysts Amarjeet Sharma and Hanna Zoricheva, Product Analyst Aimee Daly, Software Developer Tina Hernando, and Product Designer Ilona Soon volunteering at Koats for Kids in Winnipeg.

A fan-favourite among some of our staff members is using their PIF Day to “get in the holiday spirit” by volunteering at St.Amant Gift Wrap and Coat Check at a local mall in Winnipeg.

“What better way to get in the holiday spirit than wrapping gifts for a good cause?” asks Payworks Service Development Specialist Jessica Zawadowski. “We had a super fun time wrapping, getting to meet new people, and spending time with our awesome colleagues.”

Photo: Human Resources Health & Wellness Specialist Max Traa, Senior Learning & Development Specialist Maddison Kowalczuk, and Service Development Specialist Jessica Zawadowski volunteering at St.Amant Foundation’s Gift Wrap and Coat Check.

That’s another great way our team members use their PIF Day: to not only volunteer their time and talents, but also engage in a day of team building. Seven staff from our Montreal office did just that last year when they volunteered at Les Fourchettes de l'Espoir. To hear more about their day, check out our recent National Volunteer Week PIF Day roundup: https://blog.payworks.ca/how-weve-been-paying-it-forward-from-coast-to-coast. 

“It was so special to be able to connect with our team and help those in need,” says Payworks Implementation Specialist Tania Pannozzo.

Photo: Seven members of our team in Montreal volunteering at Les Fourchettes de l'Espoir.

We’re proud to create – and continue to foster – a workplace where experiences can be shared and employees are encouraged to pay their successes forward in their own communities. We’re also honoured to share these experiences from our staff with you. Happy #PayItForward Day!

To learn more about how we’re helping in communities across Canada, visit: https://www.payworks.ca/about-us/pay-it-forward/.