Volunteering and volunteer rights

Volunteering is defined as an activity which takes place through not for profit organisations or projects and is undertaken:

• to be of benefit to the community and the volunteer
• of the volunteer's own free will and without coercion
• for no financial payment
• in designated volunteer positions only
  Source: www.volunteeringaustralia.org/sheets/definition.html

Volunteers have rights including:

• to be treated as co-workers. This includes position descriptions, Equal Employment Opportunity, Occupational Health & Safety, anti-discrimination legislation and organisational grievance processes
• a task or job worthwhile to the volunteer, for no more than 16 hours a week on a regular basis
• to know the purpose and ground rules of the organization
• appropriate orientation and training for the job
• a place to work and suitable tools
• to be kept informed of organisation changes and the reasons
• reimbursement of agreed expenses
• to be heard and make suggestions
• personal accident insurance in place of workers compensation insurance
• a reference, if appropriate 

Volunteer recruitment and management

Things to consider include:

• Applications forms
• Position descriptions
• Agreements
• Timesheets
• Recognition

Application form
Why?
To capture as much relevant information about the prospective volunteer as possible and match volunteer qualifications and interest with appropriate activities. Example of a Volunteer Application Form.

Volunteer position description

Why?

• An important resource for individuals and groups when preparing a written or verbal reference for a volunteer.
• A reference for volunteers. A job description tells you things such as what your role is, who you report to what tasks you are expected to do andwhat your responsibilities are. This information can be included in a Volunteer Agreement.
• Can be used in the re-advertisement and recruitment process for a volunteer position when a volunteer has resigned.

Will be referred to when renewing insurance policies annually, to report the type and scope of work which volunteers are authorised to undertake.
Example of a Volunteer Position Description Form.

Volunteer agreement
Why?

• An agreement signed by the volunteer and volunteer supervisor/manager specifying details of the proposed service to be provided by the volunteer, acknowledging understanding and acceptance of the conditions of volunteer placement.

Example of a Volunteer Agreement Form.

Volunteer timesheet
Why?

• A legal record that a volunteer was working within a particular timeframe, and has undertaken work authorised by an individual or group during that time.
• Can be referred to if an insurance or compensation claim is made by a volunteer, stating that they were working as a volunteer on a particular day and time. Such claims can be made up to 7 years after an accident or injury. It is essential to keep clear records.
• A record of total number of hours worked by a volunteer. This enables recognition of volunteer effort.

Example of a Volunteer Timesheet. test

Volunteer recognition
Why?

• Considerable effort is invested in volunteer recruitment, training and management. Therefore, it's important to regularly recognise the contribution of volunteers through their inclusion in meetings, discussions and events. Volunteer gifts and certificates are also a good way of showing appreciation for volunteers.

Duty of Care

Individual organisations are best to seek independent legal advice as to the legal requirements of their specific OH&S, Worker's Compensation, Public Liability Insurance and Travel Insurance obligations.
 
Things to consider include:

• Occupational Health & Safety
• Reporting accidents
• Fieldwork itinerary and risk assessment checklist

Conservation Volunteers Australia provides training in the management of people in practical conservation tasks and delivers accredited and non accredited training for both individuals and organisations in Active Volunteering, Conservation Volunteer Management, In Safe Hands Training, Risk Assessment Training Workshops and Safety Awareness.

Occupational Health & Safety
The activities of a group should be carried out in a manner which protects the health and safety of its employees, volunteers, clients and members of the community. Health and safety is the responsibility of all personnel involved at the Group's workplace.

To meet OH & S responsibilities volunteers must:

• act in accordance with State legislation (see below)
• act within the policies and procedures of the organisation
• report all hazards they become aware of
• report all incidents, whether there has been an injury or not
• Wear all personal protective equipment where it is required

Source: Volunteering Central West Volunteer Induction Toolkit

State legislation

• NSW: Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000 & OH&S Amendment (Workplace Deaths Bill 2005.
• QLD: Workplace Health and Safety Act 1995
• ACT: Occupational Health and Safety Act 1989
• VIC: Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004
• SA: Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare Act 1986
• WA: Occupational Safety and Health Act 1984
• NT: Work Health Act 1986
• TAS: Work Health and Safety Act 1995

Reporting accidents
Why?

• Organisations are required to comply with OH&S and Workers Compensation legislation relevant to their State. Failure to comply with the legislative requirements usually has a financial penalty in one form or another under one or more pieces of legislation and, in some cases can lead to significant fines and/or imprisonment for managers, supervisors, CEOs and directors of organisations.

Information recorded in the event of an accident may include, for example:

• the type of incident (eg. injury/illness, near miss, security breach, property damage, fire or violence/aggression),
• incident details (eg. date, time, location and description),
• details of the person reporting the incident and who it was reported to
• details of the person injure or ill
• the outcome or treatment following the incident or injury
• controls taken to prevent an injury or control the hazard

Fieldwork itinerary and risk assessment checklist
Why?

• A field itinerary assists in documenting the whereabouts and intentions of people in the field, while a risk assessment checklist is useful for the purposes of identifying risk exposure and opportunities for improvement.
• A Fieldwork Risk Assessment form provides a systematic form of risk assessment and mitigation that could be produced in a legal process if an organisation was prosecuted for a break of the OH&S Act in a particular jurisdiction.

A fieldwork itinerary may include, for example:

• the nature of the fieldwork/an activity
• expected departure and date of return
• vehicle details
• persons attending/participating
• contact details and emergency contact details (eg. mobile, UHF, satellite phone, EPIRB)

A fieldwork risk assessment checklist may include an assessment and exposure to risks associated with, for example:

• location
• travel arrangements
• accommodation
• security
• first aid
• communication and supervision
• biological hazards
• fire and explosion
• electricity
• chemicals/dangerous goods
• catering/food and water
• volunteer arrangements 

Insurance

Organisations are required to assess their exposure and liability insurance needs.

Public Liability Insurance
Organisations should assess their need to obtain insurance when conducting activities described on this website, including, but not limited to the following types of insurance:

• Public liability; and
• Products liability.

More information
To assist not-for-profit organisations, the Queensland Government has developed a public liability information brochure which includes information on tort law reform, risk management, duty exemptions on premiums and insurance price monitoring and  a range of frequently asked questions. More information
Volunteering Australia
Conservation Volunteers Australia
Volunteer Coordinator Network (Natural Areas) (VCN)
GoVolunteer (online volunteer vacancy site)
Ozvpm (Australian based volunteer program management discussion group) 

Disclaimer
The information outlined in this section is broadly applicable to community groups working in the natural resource management sector. The information does not take account of the specific objectives, needs or resources of any particular group. Australian Government Disclaimer:
The views and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Australian Government or the Minister for the Environment and Heritage.
While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that the contents of this publication are factually correct, the Commonwealth does not accept responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of the contents, and shall not be liable for any loss or damage that may be occasioned directly or indirectly through the use of, or reliance on, the contents of this publication.