For the first time employees have been given decision-making power on which good causes will benefit from the telco’s US regional grants programme, the T-Mobile Foundation announced yesterday.

T-Mobile’s retail and customer service staff have chosen more than 120 non-profits in their local communities, ranging from youth centres to veterans’ support services. In addition to financial support, staff donated their time.

T-Mobile CEO John Legere, said, “Our employees didn’t just want to give money – they wanted to roll up their sleeves and get to work helping. So, we extended the programme to include employee volunteer events for the organisations of their choice.”

Studies show that employees who actively engage in company giving and volunteer efforts are happier and find their jobs more fulfilling when provided opportunities to make a positive impact at work, the company said.

Beneficiaries included the MilwaukeePublic Schools Foundation, the Boys and Girls Club of Oakland, Soldiers’ Angels of North Florida, Bronx Music Heritage Centre.

Last year, the company’s employee matching programmes, text-to-give campaigns, community grants and “holiday promotions” resulted in donations to more than 6,000 organisations. Its employees volunteered nearly 60,000 hours.