Volunteer Rights
Volunteer Rights
Unlike paid staff, volunteers are not covered by awards or Work-place agreements. Volunteers, however, do have rights, some of which are enshrined in legislation and some of which are the moral obligations of an organisation involving volunteers. The following list is the basis of your rights as a volunteer.
As a volunteer you have the right:
- To work in a healthy and safe environment (refer various Occupational Health and Safety Act[s])
- To be interviewed and employed in accordance with equal opportunity and anti discrimination legislation
- To be adequately covered by insurance
- To be given accurate and truthful information about the organisation for which you are working
- To be given a copy of the organisation's volunteer policy and any other policy that affects your work
- Not to fill a position previously held by a paid worker
- Not to do the work of paid staff during industrial disputes
- To have a job description and agreed working hours
- To have access to a grievance procedure
- To be provided with orientation to the organisation
- To have your confidential and personal information dealt with in accordance with the principles of the Privacy Act 1988, and
- To be provided with sufficient training for you to do your job.
