I am a volunteer at a local humane society. I’ve found out that management is keeping track of volunteer actions reported by staff and using these records to “fire” volunteers. They report showing up but not signing up early enough, socializing an animal that is not available, complaining about management, etc. Do the volunteers have the right to see these records and know who filed the complaint? —From the website.
Probably not. It would be a matter of state law, but volunteers usually have fewer rights than “at will” employees, who can be fired by the employer for any reason or no reason at any time. In most situations, even the anti-discrimination laws that apply to at will employees do not apply to volunteers, simply because they are not employees.
An organization that regularly uses volunteers in its program will have a public relations interest in treating them respectfully and having open lines of communication and clear expectations on both sides. If you and your volunteer colleagues don’t like your present situation, you should talk with the organization’s managers about it. You have some leverage. It will cost the organization time and effort, even if not additional money, to replace what you and your colleagues do if you decide to walk away.
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