Businesses across Hertfordshire are being encouraged to support employees to volunteer as magistrates and develop transferable skills to help their career progression.
With a national drive to search for 4,000 new magistrates, Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce has partnered with its Bedfordshire counterpart and the Ministry of Justice to launch a recognition initiative for companies that actively support the work of JPs.
The Magistrates Employer Recognition Scheme (MERS) helps promote the benefits for companies and individuals who volunteer to sit on the bench.
Briege Leahy, Herts Chamber CEO, said: “The role of a magistrate plays an important part in the development of individuals, businesses, and communities.
"This scheme encourages employers to support members of their team who would like to volunteer and also help them to recognise their significant contribution to the county."
Magistrates sit in criminal or family court to make decisions on individual cases where it is not necessary to go to a higher court.
The business leader explained that magistrates receive excellent training and gain a wide range of highly valued and transferable skills that can be used in the workplace, benefiting the company and the individual’s own career development.
“Critical analysis, complex problem solving, mediation and influencing are just some of the skills that employees can learn while serving on the bench. These can be extremely advantageous in the workplace," said Briege Leahy.
“Being an employer that allows paid leave for performing this important voluntary role also helps when recruiting new staff. Knowing your boss is supporting you also helps improve job satisfaction.
“The Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire Chambers believe that their members, and other wider businesses across the two counties, will genuinely benefit by supporting the initiative.”
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Endorsed by Robert Voss, the Lord-Lieutenant of Hertfordshire, and Susan Lousada, Lord-Lieutenant of Bedfordshire, the scheme offers three levels of recognition - bronze, silver and gold.
To achieve the lower level, businesses must pledge to support employees who are already magistrates while encouraging others to volunteer, as well as promoting the role of JPs to wider network.
To achieve gold recognition, companies have to adopt a formal policy as well as providing at least 10 days additional paid leave to relevant staff members.
The Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce is based in Salisbury Square, Old Hatfield.
For more information on MERS, visit www.hertschamber.com/mers
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