{"id":176033,"date":"2022-09-23T02:09:53","date_gmt":"2022-09-23T01:09:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/?p=176033"},"modified":"2022-09-23T02:09:54","modified_gmt":"2022-09-23T01:09:54","slug":"volunteers-workplace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/volunteers-workplace\/","title":{"rendered":"What Are the Key Points an Employer Needs to Know About Volunteers in the Workplace in England?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As an employer with staff in your workplace, you are likely used to your workforce consisting of people who are employees and workers. However, some businesses have voluntary workers. You may have volunteers in your organisation or consider giving volunteers job roles in your business. If you have volunteers in your workplace, you need to know about any rules surrounding having volunteers in your business. If you do not carry out your duties towards volunteers correctly, you could face problems with government bodies such as the Health and Safety Executive.<\/a> This article will explain what you, as an employer, need to know about volunteers in the workplace in England. It will explain what a volunteer in the workplace is and the rights they do and do not have. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is a Volunteer? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A volunteer is a person who gives up their time to do something which they are not paid to do but will benefit others. A person who volunteers does so of their free will and cannot be made to give up their time. A volunteer can be of any age and come from various backgrounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Volunteering may be formal or informal. A volunteer in the workplace in England is formal, organised volunteering. Although a volunteer in your workplace may be carrying out a similar or the same role as an employee, a volunteer is not an employee and, therefore, does not have the same rights as your employees in terms of employment law.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Distinguishing Volunteers From Employees<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As your volunteers in your workplace are not employees, there are differences in how you must treat them, and therefore you need to make it clear who is an employee and a volunteer. Volunteers do not have the protection of employment law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you have volunteers in your workplace, you should ensure the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n