# Employee awareness low on payroll giving, research finds

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2023/02/07/employee-awareness-low-on-payroll-giving-research-finds/
- Published: 2023-02-07T09:34:00+00:00
- Author: Melanie May

**With [Payroll Giving Month](https://www.payrollgivingmonth.com/) taking place 
this February, research from CAF shows that two in five (41%) employees don’t know
if their employer offers the service. **

A similar percentage (40%) believe their employer doesn’t offer payroll giving, 
while only 18% of people say it is available at their workplace.

YouGov surveyed 1,077 people for [Charities Aid Foundation](https://www.cafonline.org/)(
CAF) in December – 70% of which also said they believe businesses should be more
open and transparent about their charitable donations.

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Almost half (46%) said they do not know whether their employer donates a proportion
of its profits to charitable causes while 35% believe they don’t donate at all. 

However, nearly half (47%) said they would be more inclined to work for a business
that donates to charitable causes. 68% also believe businesses have an obligation
to support the local communities in which they operate.

Mark Greer, CAF’s Managing Director for Philanthropy Services, said:

> “Working for a business that has a social purpose matters to employees and jobseekers.
> How a company supports its communities, whether local or global, is increasingly
> seen as fundamental to attract and retain talent in a world where competition 
> is high.
>  
> “However, corporate responsibility needs to be authentic and transparent. Embedding
> purpose by engaging employees and partnering with charities can help a business
> to have a positive impact on society and meet its strategic goals. Payroll giving
> is an accessible and affordable way for employees to engage with their employer’s
> responsible values. By matching your employee’s donation, you can work together
> to have a positive impact on society.”

CAF has granted more than £1.6billion in employee donations to over 40,000 charities
through its Give As You Earn payroll giving scheme since it launched in 1987. With
payroll giving, charitable donations are taken from pay before income tax is deducted
so for a charity to receive a £25 donation, it effectively ‘costs’ a base rate taxpayer
£20 or a higher rate taxpayer £15. Many employers also match their employees’ payroll
giving, which can double the donation a charity receives.