When Employers Champion Purpose: Unlocking Talent Through Volunteering
Behind every employee making a difference is a workplace that makes it possible. During Volunteers’ Week (1 - 7 June), we’re shining a spotlight on the role business leaders play in enabling meaningful contribution beyond the day job. Magistrates typically receive their sittings up to six months in advance and can sit some Saturdays and half days. But what happens when a magistrate juggles their duties alongside their employment? We spoke to Persi, a Test Manager and family court magistrate, along with her manager, Roy, who demonstrate how the right support to serve as a magistrate can unlock growth, responsibility, and real impact both in and out of the workplace.
Persi
What inspired you to become a magistrate and what was the moment you knew this role was something you really wanted to pursue?
I’ve always wanted to give something back to the community. Becoming a magistrate felt like a meaningful way to use my experience and empathy to make a real difference to families and children at what is often one of the most challenging times in their lives. The idea of contributing to fair, balanced decision‑making really resonated with me.
What skills have you developed as a magistrate that you’ve been able to bring back into your workplace?
Serving as a magistrate has strengthened my ability to make fair, balanced, and evidence-based decisions, often in complex and sensitive situations. It has enhanced my critical thinking, active listening, and ability to consider different perspectives before reaching a conclusion.
Working collaboratively on the bench has helped me develop strong influencing skills, while remaining impartial and fair. These skills translate directly into my role, helping me manage risks more effectively, and make well-informed decisions under pressure.
How do you balance your responsibilities as a magistrate with your day job?
Balancing my role as a magistrate with my day job comes down to planning, prioritisation, and clear communication. I am informed of my court sittings in advance, which allow me to plan effectively and align my work commitments accordingly.
Both roles complement each other, as the skills I develop in one, often strengthen the other. So, with organisation and proactive approach, I’m able to meet my responsibilities effectively while continuing to deliver in my professional role.
What support have you found most valuable from your manager/team?
The support from my manager and team has been extremely valuable in enabling me to volunteer as a magistrate. There is a strong culture of trust, flexibility, and understanding, which allows me to attend sittings while maintaining my work commitments.
My team is collaborative and supportive, ensuring continuity when I’m away and helping maintain delivery momentum. This positive environment makes it possible to contribute to public service while continuing to perform effectively in my role.
Why do you think more organisations should encourage employees to take on volunteer roles like this?
Encouraging employees to take on roles like magistracy benefits both individuals and organisations. Magistracy helps develop strong judgement, empathy, and the ability to make fair, impartial decisions – all of which are highly transferable leadership skills.
It also promotes a culture of social responsibility and community engagement, enabling employees to contribute meaningfully to society. I believe organisations can benefit from employees who bring back valuable experience in dealing with complex, real-world situations.
Roy (Persi’s manager)
From a manager’s perspective, why is it important to support employees who volunteer in roles such as being a magistrate?
From my perspective, supporting people who volunteer as magistrates is important because it develops broader leadership capability, judgement and public service values that directly benefit the organisation.
Employees gain experience making balanced decisions, handling sensitive situations, listening carefully to different perspectives and operating with integrity and impartiality. It also demonstrates that the organisation values wider civic responsibility, inclusion and personal development, which all helps to improve engagement, wellbeing and retention rates.
What value do you think Persi’s experience as a magistrate brings to your team or the organisation?
Persi’s experience as a magistrate brings clear value to the team through strong decision making, professionalism and calmness under pressure. She demonstrates excellent listening skills, empathy and the ability to assess complex information objectively before reaching conclusions in her day-to-day test engineer role. This strengthens communication, stakeholder management and confidence in dealing with challenging situations. These qualities positively influence our test team culture and help build trust and credibility with users and stakeholders.
What does supporting an employee magistrate look like in practice?
Supporting an employee magistrate in practice means recognising the value of the role and providing reasonable flexibility to enable them to fulfil their judicial duties alongside their day job. This can include planned leave arrangements, open communication around sitting days and ensuring workloads are managed fairly. It is about creating a supportive culture where external public service commitments are viewed positively rather than as a barrier to performance or career progression.
What advice would you give to other managers who might be unsure about supporting external commitments like this?
My shared experience for other managers would be to see external commitments like magistrate duties as an opportunity and an investment rather than a negative or a barrier. Over time people gain enhanced leadership skills, resilience, judgement and wider perspectives that strengthen the team and wider organisation. With good planning and communication, the impact on operational delivery is manageable, while the longer-term benefits to both the individual and the organisation being great.
Support your magistrate employees
Find out more about supporting magistrates in your organisation with our employer guide.