Your expectations as a volunteer

Volunteers don't have a contract of employment and so don't have the rights of an employee or worker. These include the right to a minimum wage, holiday and sick pay, and other statutory rights.

Your expectations

If you volunteer, you're normally given information about what to expect in a volunteer agreement. This is usually part of a set of documents, which includes a volunteer policy and a description of your volunteer role.

The volunteer agreement should explain:

the role your expected to do
what you can expect form an organisation
if expenses are paid
what supervision and support you'll get
insurance cover
equal opportunities
how disagreements will be resolved

Minimum age

Many voluntary organisations offer volunteering to children (16 and under), provided they're covered by the organisation's insurance. You should check that the organisation you are hoping to volunteer with has proper insurance for your age group.

As is often the case with volunteering the law has little to say on this matter. There is no general legal restriction on volunteering by children in not for profit organisations. However, some local authorities have by-laws restricting the number of hours that children can work. As with all applicants young people should be judged on their merits. Minimum and maximun age limits for volunteers are extremely vague and the fact that someone is willing to do the work is more important than the date on their birth certificate.

Health and safety

Under health and safety law, an organisation only has to have one paid employee to be an employer. If you're volunteering for an employer, it must assess any risks to your health and safety and take steps to reduce them - just as if you were a paid employee.

If there are different health and safety risks for volunteers than employees, then the protection you're given should reflect this.

Volunteer expenses and training

As a volunteer, you will be excluded from the National Minimum Wage and receive only basic expenses for your work. Expenses don't count as wages, as they're repaying you for costs you wouldn't have had if you hadn't been volunteering.

Normally, expenses will be limited to money for travel and food/drink. As well as repaying you for money you have spent (or will be spending) on things you need for your volunteering. You may also receive child care costs if you incur these as a result of volunteering.

If you receive any benefits in kind they are likely to be limited to what you need while volunteering, such as food and drink. If you are doing voluntary work away from home, accommodation may be likely. Training for your volunteer role may also be provided.

If you receive any other payment or benefit in kind for volunteering, this may mean you are actually classed as an 'employee' or a 'worker'. These categories have a specific meaning and have particular employment rights associated with them.

Examples of benefits that might mean you are classed as a 'worker' include:

receiving training that's not directly relevant to your voluntary work
receiving a fixed regular amount for 'expenses' that is more than you spend

Insurance

While a clear health and safety policy is important it is equally important for an organisation to have an insurance policy to cover any work that you do.

For example, it is the volunteer's responsibility to obtain insurance cover for their own vehicle while carrying out volunteering activity. Find out more about insurance and volunteering and download information sheets from the Volunteer Now website.

Information sheets for volunteering - Volunteer Now website

Data protection

As a volunteer, you have the same rights as an employee, under the Data Protection Act. This means the organisation you're volunteering for must comply with rules on personal information about you held on a computer or in paper files. They can't process any of this information without your permission.

Where to get help

If you are an organisation the Volunteer Now website provides an essential source of support information and training for those who work with volunteers.

Volunteer Now website

If you are a volunteer or interested in becoming one, Volunteer Now can provide you with up to date opportunites in your area.

Find a volunteering opportunity - Volunteer Now website

Overseas volunteers

There's no special provision under UK immigration law for people from outside the European Economic Area to come to the UK to do voluntary work. However, to support charitable work and youth mobility, the government operates a concession. There are strict rules that must be met in order to qualify.