No workplace agreements for volunteers
[16 February 2007 | The Centre for Volunteering and St Vincent de Paul Society]
The Centre for Volunteering has been fielding calls from members following The Sunday Telegraph's report (4/2/07) that "St Vincent de Paul has sacked a group of volunteers who refused to sign a workplace agreement despite their decades of service."
Volunteers will never be required to sign workplace agreements which are legal contracts between an employer and paid employees.
The Sunday Telegraph wrongly presented the facts. The charity workers referred to were former volunteer members of the Society who had indeed given many years of service to people in need. As volunteers they are not able to be sacked as there is no employment relationship. Having the status of volunteer member of any organisation, they were required to adhere to the rules and policies of the Society. At the heart of the Society's rule is its mission of service to the poor. At the heart of the Society's policies and procedures is the organisation's duty of care to clients, volunteer members and employees.
The forms that seven former members would not sign were volunteer Membership Renewal forms. The forms included a declaration that the person signing was not prohibited from dealing with children as prescribed under the Child Protection Act. The forms were NOT workplace agreements.
After many months of negotiation, encouragement and discussions, the seven former members decided not to sign the membership renewal. Their unwillingness to undertake to act according to the Society's Rule, policies and procedures was their choice, and their choice alone, to no longer be members of the Society.
The Society assists many vulnerable people, single parents and their children, people with mental health problems, the homeless and the frail aged. The Society's name carries with it enormous community trust and respect so the Society must ensure that it knows who its volunteer members are and that these volunteers are adequately prepared to be able to provide meaningful assistance.
The situation in question is a reflection of the challenges that volunteer organisations like the Society are experiencing in adapting to the very regulated and litigious world we live in today.
The policies relate to several areas, such as requiring the Society's volunteers to undertake training to better equip them in assisting some of the most vulnerable people in their community. The policies ensure the safety of volunteers visiting the homes of clients by requiring that they visit in pairs. The Society's policies require that volunteers undertake training in occupational health and safety. These requirements are not onerous but they do require some time, cost and effort to administer. Ultimately they reflect the Society's commitment to supporting the Society's volunteers in their good work.
While it is disappointing that these seven former volunteer members could not accept the need to undertake the Society's rules, it is nonetheless crucial that the St Vincent de Paul Society gives priority to the safety and wellbeing of its estimated 20,000 volunteers, and the hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people in NSW and the ACT who seek out help.