Your Rights as a Volunteer
Working as a volunteer it is important to understand your rights as opposed to those of someone who is employed on a full or part time basis.
As a volunteer you will be expected to carry out the same roles and have the same responsibilities as an individual who receives a salary so it is wise to make sure of your rights before entering into any agreement as a volunteer.
Age
As a volunteer you have some rights but not the same as those of someone employed on a full time basis as we have already touched upon. From an age point of view you may not engage in any kind of work paid or otherwise for a voluntary organisation under the age of 14.Once over the age of 14 you may be allowed to work some hours but not as many as someone who is say 18. It is important to understand that regulations regarding age and any prospective employer or organisation who wishes to facilitate the use of your services should be aware of these regulations well in advance.
Health and Safety
As a member of the team or workforce you have the same rights when it comes to health and safety as someone who works full time for the organisation for which you are volunteering. You should not be put at any more risk than a permanent member of staff and as such you have the legal right to refuse to par take in any activity that a regular member of staff would refuse to do.
Privacy and Data Protection
Again you have the same rights here as employees working for the company or organisation you are volunteering with. Your information should remain private and confidential and should not be shared with anyone under the guidelines laid down by the Data Protection Act. Any breach of this should be handled in the same way it would be handled in the case of a regular employee.
Salary
As a volunteer you are not entitled to be paid a salary however given the circumstances surrounding your volunteer work you may be eligible for expenses such as travelling expenses or those incurred in the procurement of equipment or specialist clothing for the work you will undertake.The issue of expenses should be handled in the same way as it would be for a full time member of staff and you have a legal obligation – if it is so denoted in any staff handbooks – to seek expenses if the company accepts that you are entitled to them. Expenses also include any Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) searches which may need to be undertaken given the nature of your volunteer work.
Additional information
At the time you begin working for the organisation you have chosen to volunteer for you should be given an employee handbook which will set out clearly what rules and regulations apply to you as a volunteer. This handbook – given to you during or shortly after you have completed your induction - will also detail the nature of any disciplinary procedures that may be in place.If you are not given an employee handbook or list of specific guidelines you should ask your supervisor or mentor if such a thing exists and if so ask if you can avail of a copy. This handbook will also detail what rights the other members of staff have and how you can instigate disciplinary proceedings should any issue involving you requires it necessary.
Related Articles in the 'Volunteer Work' Category...
- Becoming a Special Needs Volunteer
- Foster Carers: What They Do and How to Get Involved
- Voluntary Working Basics-What You Should Know
- Volunteering at a Children's Summer Camp
- What You Need to Know About Being a Scout Troop Leader
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