Employee Engagement

Our work culture is imbued with a spirit of giving back: It’s what attracts many people to work for Gap Inc. and it is a key part of what inspires our employees to stay. That's why we created flexible programs that encourage our employees to give back in the way that makes the most sense for them, through money or volunteer time.

We give our employees a chance to make a real difference in their communities through our Community Leaders program, which consists of nearly 2,700 people across seven countries. Our Community Leaders, the heart and soul of our volunteer efforts, are encouraged to identify a local nonprofit organization that can use the talents and skills of our employees. Our aim is to partner with these organizations to create long-term positive impact. This model gives our partners the confidence to invest in training our employee volunteers, and it fosters a deeper connection between our volunteers and the local community. Just as for any other business activity, each team is responsible for setting and delivering on their goals.

We are also energized by the enthusiasm displayed by our global employees in company wide campaigns like our Volunteer Rally, during which individual districts and regions, and teams from Gap Inc. headquarters compete to achieve the highest employee participation over the course of six and a half weeks. 

We give our employees a chance to make a real difference in their communities through our Community Leaders program, which consists of nearly 2,700 people across seven countries. Our Community Leaders, the heart and soul of our volunteer efforts, are encouraged to identify a local nonprofit organization that can use the talents and skills of our employees. Our aim is to partner with these organizations to create long-term positive impact. This model gives our partners the confidence to invest in training our employee volunteers, and it fosters a deeper connection between our volunteers and the local community. Just as for any other business activity, each team is responsible for setting and delivering on their goals. 

In addition to these programs, we offer benefits that encourage employees to give back in the way that is right for them: 

Field Team Grants: For every 25 hours a store team volunteers to support youth development or women’s advancement, they can request a $250 grant for the community organization. We incentivize efforts in youth development and women’s advancement because these are two of Gap Inc.’s sustainability focus areas, where we can have the greatest impact. 

Money for Time: We donate $150 to the partner nonprofit for every 15 hours an employee volunteers after one year of work. 

Financial Donation Match: We match employees’ financial donations to eligible community organizations after one year of work. 

Take Five: Eligible employees can take up to five hours per month to volunteer. 

In recent years we have integrated giving back even more deeply into our culture and expanding our notion of what it means to give back. Beyond donating time and money, we have used campaigns to encourage employees to think more broadly about all the ways that they can have a positive impact in their communities through choices they make in their daily lives. 

Today, each Gap Inc. function has at least one representative on our Employee Engagement Committee. These representatives are responsible for setting goals for volunteer hours, employee participation and total employee-driven community investment. We share monthly reports with these representatives to help keep teams accountable for their goals. 

In 2019, Gap Inc. and employees contributed $12.2 million in employee-driven community investment, which represents the combined value of volunteer hours, employee financial contributions and company matching dollars. This amount includes 355,000 employee volunteer hours with organizations focused on a variety of issues, from helping disadvantaged women thrive to enabling young people to achieve a better future.

For Gap Inc., these programs deliver both social and business benefits: Our communities benefit from the long-term impact of our employee volunteer efforts, and our business is rewarded with more engaged employees who are passionate about making a difference in the world. For example, we've found that volunteers have a turnover rate nearly a third lower than individuals who are not similarly engaged, they stay with our company for nearly twice as long and they are more frequently promoted.

THE SHORT STORY 
EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT 

• To encourage employees to give back, we provide time off for volunteering, grants for community organizations, money for volunteer time and matching donations.

• We delivered $12.2 million in employee driven community investment in 2018.

• Employees volunteered 355,000 hours in 2019.

• 2,700 of our employees in seven countries participated in our Community Leaders program.