Delta Air Lines says it will begin paying employees to volunteer one day a year with a 501(c)3 or international nonprofit of their choice.
It's a benefit some other companies offer. According to a survey by the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy (CECP) and the Conference Board of multi-billion dollar companies, 65 percent said they had paid-release time volunteer programs — though policies vary.
With the airline’s 80,000 employees eligible, Delta said the program could yield up to 640,000 hours of service in communities, including up to 251,000 hours in the Atlanta area.
Delta made the announcement as it paid out $1.3 billion in profit sharing to employees, amounting to a bonus valued at 14 percent of annual pay for each employee.
It's the airline's second-highest profit sharing total, after a 2016 payout of $1.5 billion.
In Atlanta, the company’s employees will get a total payout of $456 million.
The bonuses come after Delta reported $3.9 billion in net income for 2018. The profit sharing is based on the company's $5.2 billion in pre-tax income for 2018. Delta holds its profit sharing day on Feb. 14 each year.
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