Charities Aid Foundation is calling on employers to do more to encourage staff to give their time for good causes, after research showed 72 per cent of employees said they do not get paid leave to volunteer.

A ComRes survey of almost 1,060 employees revealed just 7 per cent said they are given paid time off to volunteer, and 22 per cent did not know if the opportunity was available to them.

The survey for CAF, of almost 2,030 adults overall, found 19 per cent of people have never volunteered before but would like to in future.

CAF chief executive John Low said people in the UK have a strong desire to give up their time to support the voluntary sector, and many businesses are leading the way when it comes to rallying staff around a cause.

However, he said there is yet to be a country wide "culture of volunteering" across the UK.

“Our research shows a worrying lack of support being offered by some employers, and in many cases a lack of knowledge that this support even exists,” Low said. “We would like companies of all sizes to get their staff volunteering, unlocking potentially millions of hours of valuable time to support the vital work of British charities.”

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