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Provided by Cooke Insurance Group This Risk Insights is not intended to be exhaustive nor should any discussion or opinions be construed as legal advice. Readers should contact legal counsel or an insurance professional for appropriate advice. © 2014 Zywave, Inc. All rights reserved. It is essential that your organization manages its volunteers to minimize the risk of harm to the community members you are attempting to serve and to the volunteers themselves. Managing Volunteers in Your Organization As a non-profit organization, most of your workforce is probably comprised of volunteers. These individuals are devoting their time and energy to helping the community through your organization. Though these individuals are offering their services without expecting compensation, they still require supervision to ensure that their jobs are done correctly. Furthermore, it is essential that your organization manages its volunteers to minimize the risk of harm to the community members you are attempting to serve and to the volunteers themselves. There are three types of volunteer liabilities that may affect your organization as follows: 1. Direct liability: The organization or volunteer is liable for an action or failing to act. This would include: • Not properly screening volunteers who will work with children • Providing volunteers with unsafe tools while doing repair work 2. Indirect (vicarious) liability: The non-profit is liable for the actions of a volunteer on the organization’s behalf. This would include: • Volunteer damaging city property while working for an organization in a park • Medical bills accrued by a community member after an injury while supervised by a volunteer at an organization-sponsored event 3. Strict Liability: The need to determine negligence is not necessary because responsibility for inflicting harm is automatic Training Program As a non-profit, it is essential that your organization develops a training program for its volunteers. The program will depend heavily on the position the volunteer holds, the experience he or she brings to the role, the needs of the community member(s) he or she is serving and the policies your organization has in place. While in the training program, volunteers should be given a safety handbook outlining your organization’s policies. Furthermore, they should sign a waiver after reading through the organization’s policies and procedures.

Managing Volunteers in Your Organization...Managing Volunteers in Your Organization The training program should also include the following, at minimum: • An official welcome to the

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Page 1: Managing Volunteers in Your Organization...Managing Volunteers in Your Organization The training program should also include the following, at minimum: • An official welcome to the

ProvidedbyCookeInsuranceGroup

ThisRiskInsightsisnotintendedtobeexhaustivenorshouldanydiscussionoropinionsbeconstruedaslegaladvice.Readersshouldcontactlegalcounseloraninsuranceprofessionalforappropriateadvice.©2014Zywave,Inc.Allrightsreserved.

Itisessentialthatyourorganizationmanagesitsvolunteerstominimizetheriskofharmtothecommunitymembersyouareattemptingtoserveandtothevolunteersthemselves.

ManagingVolunteersinYourOrganizationAsanon-profitorganization,mostofyourworkforceisprobablycomprisedofvolunteers.Theseindividualsaredevotingtheirtimeandenergytohelpingthecommunitythroughyourorganization.Thoughtheseindividualsareofferingtheirserviceswithoutexpectingcompensation,theystillrequiresupervisiontoensurethattheirjobsaredonecorrectly.Furthermore,itisessentialthatyourorganizationmanagesitsvolunteerstominimizetheriskofharmtothecommunitymembersyouareattemptingtoserveandtothevolunteersthemselves.

Therearethreetypesofvolunteerliabilitiesthatmayaffectyourorganizationasfollows:

1. Directliability:Theorganizationorvolunteerisliableforanactionorfailingtoact.Thiswouldinclude:

• Notproperlyscreeningvolunteerswhowillworkwithchildren

• Providingvolunteerswithunsafetoolswhiledoingrepairwork

2. Indirect(vicarious)liability:Thenon-profitisliablefortheactionsofavolunteerontheorganization’sbehalf.Thiswouldinclude:

• Volunteerdamagingcitypropertywhileworkingforanorganizationinapark

• Medicalbillsaccruedbyacommunitymemberafteraninjurywhilesupervisedbyavolunteeratanorganization-sponsoredevent

3. StrictLiability:Theneedtodeterminenegligenceisnotnecessarybecauseresponsibilityforinflictingharmisautomatic

TrainingProgramAsanon-profit,itisessentialthatyourorganizationdevelopsatrainingprogramforitsvolunteers.Theprogramwilldependheavilyonthepositionthevolunteerholds,theexperienceheorshebringstotherole,theneedsofthecommunitymember(s)heorsheisservingandthepoliciesyourorganizationhasinplace.

Whileinthetrainingprogram,volunteersshouldbegivenasafetyhandbookoutliningyourorganization’spolicies.Furthermore,theyshouldsignawaiverafterreadingthroughtheorganization’spoliciesandprocedures.

Page 2: Managing Volunteers in Your Organization...Managing Volunteers in Your Organization The training program should also include the following, at minimum: • An official welcome to the

ManagingVolunteersinYourOrganization

Thetrainingprogramshouldalsoincludethefollowing,atminimum:

• Anofficialwelcometotheorganizationandeducationonthehistory,missionstatementandservicesprovided.Outlinethegoalsoftheorganizationandthespecificneedsofthecommunitymembersbeingserviced.

• Provideanoverviewoftheskillsandresponsibilitiesrequiredfortheposition.Ifspecialequipmentisbeingused,asupervisorshouldteachthevolunteerhowtouseituntilthevolunteerfeelscomfortable.

• Explaintheorganization’spoliciesandproceduressuchasreimbursementpoliciesandsexualharassmenttraining.

• Conductasafetybriefingcoveringhowthevolunteercanprotecthim-orherselfandcommunitymembersfromdangerandinjurywhilerepresentingtheorganization.

ManagingVolunteersAftervolunteerscompletethetrainingprogram,itisessentialthatyourstaffmemberscontinuetomonitorandmanagethemthroughouttheirtenureatyourorganization.Ensurethatyourstaffmembersfeelcomfortabledelegatingresponsibilitiestothevolunteersandcorrectingthemiftheymakemistakes.Furthermore,ifavolunteerisactinginappropriately,advisethestaffmemberstodismissthevolunteerbeforeheorsheinflictsharmontoanotherpersonorhim-orherself.

Providemotivationtoyourvolunteerstoworkhardforthecommunity.Encouragethemandpraisethemforgivingittheirall.Inaddition,providethemwithat-shirt,hatorposterasgratitudefortheirhardwork.

ChecklistforSupervisingVolunteersToensurethatyourorganizationisfullypreparedformanagingvolunteers,determineifyournon-profithasthefollowinginplace:

• Adescriptionofallvolunteerpositionsdescribingthetasksanddutiesexpected.

• Maintainanddistributeavolunteersafetyhandbookforuseduringtraining.

• Establishagrievancepolicyintheeventthatvolunteersaredissatisfiedwhileworkingfortheorganization.

• Ensurethatallvolunteerssignawaiveracknowledgingtheorganization’spolicies.

• Establishdisciplinarystandardsforvolunteers.

• Trainallstaffmembersandsupervisorswhocomeincontactwithvolunteersonhowtointeractwiththem.

Ourteamofprofessionalsisheretohelp.Ifyouneedassistancewithestablishingpoliciesforvolunteers,pleasecontactCookeInsuranceGrouptoday.


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