New data shows that even as more than half of India’s employees feel stuck in “survival mode”, volunteering has unexpectedly emerged as a major source of purpose and emotional relief.
A new report has revealed a widening contradiction within India’s workforce: despite rising stress, shrinking teams and a growing sense of disconnection, Indians remain among the world’s most active workplace volunteers.
The Corporate Volunteering Quotient Report India 2025 by Goodera states that 31 per cent of Indian employees volunteer, far above the 22.2 per cent global median.
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The findings come at a time when over half of India’s workers say they are functioning in “survival mode”, burdened by intensified workloads, economic pressure, and limited social support. Experts note that younger professionals, in particular, face uncertainty about long-term goals and identity, leading to increased loneliness and disillusionment. Ankur Agrawal, Founder of The LHR Group, explains that this identity vacuum heightens stress, especially when wellbeing programmes fail to address structural issues such as compensation, job insecurity and rising living costs.
Volunteering, therefore, has become a meaningful outlet. According to the Goodera report, the most popular causes are education, the environment and community welfare. Agrawal says that volunteering provides connection, purpose and visible impact—qualities often missing from modern work. This also explains the spike in volunteer participation during crises such as floods or public health emergencies.
However, experts caution against treating volunteering as a quick remedy for deeper workplace problems. Agrawal warns that companies risk misusing it as a low-cost morale booster. Volunteering only holds value, he says, when workloads are manageable, compensation is fair, and organisations acknowledge employee exhaustion rather than masking it with positivity.
The Goodera report highlights that companies offering Volunteering Time Off (VTO) or funding support see participation jump from 21 per cent to 52 per cent. This indicates that employees want opportunities to help but need time and institutional backing to do so. Integrating volunteering into regular work structures, rather than into personal time, is essential.
Ultimately, India’s volunteering trend reveals broader employee needs—belonging, community, meaning and impact. While participation levels are high, the average volunteering time remains low at 3.4 hours per year compared with the global average of 7.2 hours. With greater organisational support, India could nurture deeper and more sustained volunteering engagement.
The larger message, experts say, is that volunteering reflects what workers seek from their jobs but often do not receive. If workplaces begin to offer even a fraction of the connection and purpose employees find through volunteering, the shift from merely surviving to genuinely living may become possible.
Published: 05 Dec 2025, 01:49 pm IST
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