This resource was developed by Volunteer Toronto.
Volunteers are not employees. This means they are not subject to the employment standards of your jurisdiction. However, a policy framework for volunteer engagement can help you align with other legal requirements in your region. In many cases, existing HR policies for employees can be extended to include volunteers when appropriate.
Volunteer Definition
It may be helpful for your organization to have a policy that defines “volunteer” within your context. This definition can ensure that the unpaid labour of volunteers is not exploited or treated as paid labour without the protections of employment standards legislation.
Here is an example definition of volunteer you can use: “A volunteer is a person who shares time, skills and energy to provide support to communities and causes without pay.”
Legal Considerations
Many of the
legislative areas for employees across regions in Canada extend to volunteers as well. In most cases, your organization is obligated to extend the same protections or provisions in the following areas:
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Occupational Health and Safety: Many laws extend to anyone doing work in your workplace. You will likely need to provide training and create a workplace that is safe for employees and volunteers.
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Workplace Violence and Harassment Prevention: Extend existing processes for preventing, reporting, and addressing harassment and violence to volunteers.
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Privacy: Personal information for volunteers must be protected and safeguarded in the same way as employee information.
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Human Rights: An anti-discrimination policy is a necessity for framing a just environment for volunteers, clients, staff, and community.
Promising Practices
While not required by law, these policies are a good idea for meaningful volunteer involvement:
- Accessibility: Have a process for accommodating volunteers in screening and in their role.
- Screening: Describe specific screening steps based on assessed risk to create consistency.
- Dismissal: Create a clear procedure for volunteer dismissal that all volunteers are aware of.
- Incident Reporting: Develop a policy for volunteers to report incidents appropriately.
Other Considerations
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Honorarium: Delineate when and why an honorarium is offered. View the sample volunteer honorarium policy for more guidance.
- Expense Reimbursement: Clear instructions on how and when expenses are reimbursed.
- Feedback: Letting volunteers know what to expect from regular constructive feedback.
- Dress Code: Ensure considerations for inclusivity and diverse cultural expressions.
