Recruitment agency Jobs@Pertemps has launched a scheme to encourage employees to do voluntary work.

The initiative will allow one consultant per branch to take a half-day paid leave to do voluntary work.

Jobs@Pertemps is supporting the home office’s bid to promote volunteering in 2005.

Individual branches will coordinate requests for voluntary work, which could include anything from helping at an animal sanctuary to painting a community centre.

Chairman Tim Watts said: “We hope many of our staff will encouraged to try their hand at voluntary work next year.”