Volunteering

From the BBC

A Conservative government would offer up to 15 million workers three days' paid leave a year for volunteering.

Under the party's plans, a new law would be passed requiring public sector employers and companies with more than 250 employees to give staff up to three days a year to do voluntary work.

David Cameron said the plan would help to "build a stronger society".

But Labour called the plan "irresponsible" and asked where the funding was "going to come from".

Let's go with an approximate number, of people working approximately 4 days a week. Once you take out holidays, bank holidays, sick days, staff meetings and training, that's about the useful stuff you get left with. So, that's around 208 working days a year. If 3 of those are now training, that's effectively like those employers having 1.5% extra on employer's NI, or in the case of state employees, an extra 1.5% on the tax burden. Seriously, good luck with many UK companies remaining as bigger than 250 employees as opposed to split off into separate companies after you do this.

Now, I know that people think this helps employers, but that's just bullshit. I've worked with people who went off to Peru with Operation Raleigh to help people build bridges and they came back the same, but with nice photographs. You learn better how to write software by writing software than by building wooden bridges.

As it happens, despite being a "pledge", I'd be surprised if it happens. It's just some half-baked Cameroonian nonsense.