More than 500 government workers will have paid time off to volunteer for the Canada Summer Games this August.

Public sector workers from both the province and city of St. John’s have been offered paid leave to step up and help with the games.

Co-Chair of the Host Society, Karl Smith says with the 500 or so government workers, the volunteer contingent has risen to approximately 4,800.

He says the government policy only came into effect about a week and a half ago, and since then, some 500 people have come forward to volunteer. Both the city and the province are “offering employees time off with pay if they volunteer with the games. So we have absolutely no risk that we won’t have the 5,000 volunteers. As a matter of fact, there’s probably going to be a waiting list.”

The Canada Games kick off on August 8.