What rights does a volunteer have?
Unlike paid workers, volunteer workers are not covered by award conditions or workplace agreements. But volunteers do have rights, some of which are written into legislation.
As a volunteer you have the right to:
- accurate and truthful information about the organisation
- look at the organisation's volunteer policy and other policy documents affecting your work
- interviews and selection processes that are free of bias
- agreed working hours
- an agreed job description
- be properly trained to do the job
- a healthy and safe work environment
- be covered by adequate insurance provided by the organisation you work for
- reimbursement for any money you spend on behalf of the organisation in the course of your work
- effective grievance procedures
- not be used during an industrial dispute to perform work usually done by a paid worker
- confidentiality, your personal information being managed using the principles of the Privacy Act 1988.