Anti-oppressive volunteer policy: collated notes
Why we need a policy at all
Voluntary groups often have very little written policy, especially when volunteers are adults. People get a lot of free rein. Even so, you still need to set principles and standards. A volunteer policy should cover how we work with anyone who isn’t a member of staff.
- Legal status. There are many ways a volunteer can end up legally counted as a “worker” and gain worker rights. Much of this depends on how tightly the role is defined. Volunteers are also covered by some of the same laws that protect staff.
- Clear roles. We need a real definition of each volunteer role and its responsibilities.
- Avoiding a vacuum. When a group works without hierarchy, a power vacuum can form easily. Defined roles help, even unpaid ones. Give people areas of responsibility, but don’t leave power in their hands forever.
Code of conduct and escalation
A code of conduct is lighter than a contract, but volunteers should still agree to it and sign it. It needs a clear escalation route:
- Self-resolution
- Support and mediation
- Removal, where the issue is serious enough that the person can’t come back
Most incidents need some mediation, but members normally sort them out between themselves. Sexual assault could mean removing a member.
Being radical and open to change doesn’t mean giving up on accountability. You still have to hold people to account.
Safety, harassment and safer spaces
- In some volunteer-run settings, nothing is written down about sexual harassment and nobody is trained. This is a gap to close.
- A safer spaces policy can sit alongside a route to a safeguarding lead within the paid staff team.
- People need to know who to speak to. That guidance should use the tone and language we want volunteers to reflect, without putting undue pressure on them.
- We need a common set of principles (respect and so on), plus plain answers to questions like “what do I do if I feel uncomfortable?” We also need to think about how we train people to cope with those moments.
- Having a known space for disagreement helps. See the RadHR tension-shifting meeting template below.
A relational, non-extractive approach
Volunteer management should grow out of a developing relationship. Think of it as a relational contract. Both sides need red lines about what is unacceptable, and communication has to be clear. Where volunteering goes wrong, it’s usually because things weren’t clear.
People come for different reasons:
- Some want to learn skills
- Some want to contribute but not commit to set hours, and want their skills used in an area they care about
- Some want experience for their CV (the charity shop example)
So at the start, be clear on expectations: what they want to get out of it, how long they plan to stay, and what experience they’re after.
Being non-extractive means not exploiting people. No single model fits everyone, and that’s hard to capture from a policy angle. Volunteers can easily feel undervalued, so treat them with respect and show appreciation wherever possible.
Example: orchestra volunteers. One orchestra had a group of volunteers whose main motivation was being in the space with the musicians. They did get some perks, like biscuits and a couple of celebratory volunteer events each year. But what mattered most to them was physical presence, being treated with respect, and feeling valued for what they contributed. The small extras helped, but they worked because they sat on top of that core sense of belonging.
Open questions
- Do volunteers need to be trained or experienced?
- How do we train people to handle discomfort or conflict?
- What does escalation look like in practice, and who holds it?
Examples and resources
- Team dynamics & tension shifting meeting, The Class Work Project (RadHR Library)
- Book: A Manifesto in Four Themes by Rita Laura Segato; Ramsey McGlazer
- PO71051A Decolonising Politics: Actions and Ideas from the Global South (reading list)