People who don’t do regular volunteer work don’t get it

[GoldenGeishaGirl]

’it’s only volunteer work’ ‘it doesn’t matter if you don’t go in’ ‘someone else will cover’ ‘can’t you just say you’re sick’

Volunteer work is work. You have to be reliable. There’s very few people who can cover for you. If you can’t go, or don’t show up, it matters. I can take the odd day off like any job but I can’t be doing this every second week - it wouldn’t be fair on the animals I work with or the other volunteers.

Same can be said for any job, surely?

This, suppose people will see volunteer work as different from paid work?
You don't need to do volunteer work to pay your bills/rent/survive? Having the capacity to do volunteer work is a luxury is it not?

I think that's the OP's point.

That voluntary work is no different from work work in this regard.

I don’t get pressure from friends and family to take time off from my salaried full time job, but they regularly expect me to take time off from my volunteering job. It’s definitely seen as less important when I don’t think it is.

I'd agree and disagree.

I have a paid role that has a number of volunteers. Often a volunteer who is going on holiday/ill/has another commitment will come and be really apologetic. I always say to them to go, enjoy/get better and the great thing about volunteering is that they can do that as often as they want.

When I need a volunteer I'll ask first the reliable ones. So the more reliable ones will get a better choice of things to do as I'll tend to ask them first.

But reliable to me in a volunteer would be letting me know in advance, as in when they know, that they can't make it rather than last minute.
For a paid worker I would have a different view on reliable - it would be being there unless they were on holiday or sick.

I agree OP. I treat all my voluntary commitments with as much conscientiousness as I did paid work. I stick to my weekly commitments and more ad hoc commitments. I take them really seriously because I think they are important, and it is unfair on others not to treat them as such.

I don’t agree it’s a luxury. I also have a full time salaried job. I just choose to use some of my free time to carry out volunteer work because I think it’s important to give back to your community and the volunteer work is enjoyable.

I guess it depends. I do voluntary work but due to the nature of it they send put dates the month before you can pick and choose, do lots or none and as long as you do what you said you could do then there's no issues. Ie they give 24 dates I say im free on 20 of those and then I get 4 shifts over those 20 days.

It depends how flexible the role is

It depends on the role. Lots of voluntary roles are a ‘nice to have’ (so not a disaster if someone can’t make it), or very flexible.

I’d query the ethics of some organisations if they provide a vital service but don’t pay the staff they rely on.

I don't think that it's not important either @GoldenGeishaGirl and as someone who has also done volunteer work over the years I totally get what you're saying.

I worked at a paying job but I also made time to volunteer because it's an important job that very few people are interested in doing, or perhaps able to do, and that is the whole reason why if you commit yourself, it's vital that you show up.
Just like a paying job you're putting extra work on those who did show up to work.
Bless you OP for working with animals, I for one admire you greatly for caring about their welfare.

My career is in the charity sector and I also volunteer a lot. I’m chair of a community centre amongst other things.

Volunteers are so important and the commitment they make to support us with time means so much to us.

when they don’t show up after making a commitment we can’t always find someone else. So services and programmes may need to stop. Which impacts the community. Which impacts the standing of the charity.

we do a luncheon club. We cook from scratch a 2 or 3 course meal for up to 30 folks. Me and my 80+ year old Pops are the main folks doing it. And we need another 2 minimum - 4 preferably to prep, cook, serve and clear to make it doable.

people deciding to not turn up at short notice would make this unattainable to continue.

so yes - folks need to be reliable. But we also accept that last minute things happen and we need to start building in a reserves plan. We had a volunteer today who couldn’t stay as something came up but we know she’s not always reliable and she couldn’t help it.

anyway. Enough waffling and rambling. Thank you to everyone that volunteers or supports small or large charities in any way.

Mountain Rescue, for example.

It annoys me too, OP.

After many years volunteering in a museum alongside a completely different paid job, I now work in one for money too. The vol post in some ways is more responsible (includes mentoring/supporting vulnerable adults, developing roles, training and recruitment), and much more difficult subject matter. It is a serious job that I think is important. Training is similar - safeguarding, security etc.

I approach both with professionalism and commitment and mostly others recognise that, but I have been surprised by a few reactions over the years.

Yep, but it's all moving towards "volunteer workforce" rather than "volunteer".

I'm involved in an organisation that is increasingly using volunteers to do the work that paid staff used to and they're also cutting back on the training (making it paid for by volunteers) the things they need to do the role (first aid certificate) and making a right hash of the communication that's also required (website issues). They have staff come up with an idea then expect the volunteers to staff it, sometimes at the weekend, when those people have full-time jobs as well as their volunteering. They are now wondering why they're losing volunteers and looking for new ones but haven't listened to the people leaving, who know exactly what the issues are.

It's happened in a few places I've volunteered, so not just this one.

Ideally volunteering should be nothing like a real job. If an organisation needs people to work for them; they should be paid.
I work in a sector that uses lots of volunteers and they are all lovely people who think they are doing something good for the community, when really they are facilitating the organisation to employ fewer people.

Absolutely this

I volunteer regularly however if paid work, an appointment or something else came up I would have to miss the voluntary work.
I do it to give back to the community but equally if the company wants someone to work they need to pay them. I’m happy to give up my time when it suits me but it’s up to me when that happens and if it doesn’t suit me then so be it

Riding for the disabled is entirely staffed by volunteers. Everyone from the instructors to those mucking out stables are unpaid. It’s as important as a paid job for those involved.

I would never just not turn up to something id agreed to do however I would prioritise other things over voluntary work more then a paid job such as holidays, appointments, Christmas and special occasions. Paid employment you dont have the luxury of choice you have to pay your bills. If I worked a voluntary role and they where taking the piss id be gone

I live somewhere with the largest volunteer fire brigade in the world. Huge parts of Australia bigger than England would have no fire service without them.

We also have an emergency service comprised of volunteers who assist in other natural disasters.

Presumably there are similar services in the UK. I think you’d be surprised at the kind of work volunteers do.

@MrsEverest We're in the UK and our local fire brigade has volunteer firefighters.

Yes, the lifeboat service is a volunteer one in the UK as well.

Where I volunteer (a large museum), volunteers now deliver or support many events and activities. We are supernumeray for safety purposes but without us the experience would be much less rich. This has changed in the 13 years I have been doing this, but it is because of funding. I would say they make a big effort to make sure we have a good experience, are not exploited, are given a range of professional and social opportunities, and I know several people who have gone on to paid work (including me). I actually think the bigger issue is the very poor pay in the sector which means they cannot attract and retain a diverse workforce - a lot of people can manage a morning a month volunteering to get some experience but couldn't live on under the relevant LW. Working in the sector can be more of a "luxury" than volunteering.

I do some volunteering where it's not crisis if I don't show up.
I haven't flaked like that, but I could one day.
Actually one of my "clients" keeps forgetting and isn't available, at short notice.

Absolutely, OP. If you have committed to a volunteer shift, you have to do it. You can't just bail if you don't feel like.
On the plus side, there is some flexibility about the shifts you do, but it quickly becomes apparent who the reliable people are.
For those who think it doesn't matter, imagine a world where you can't get through to the Samaritans. Or your theatre show is cancelled due to lack of Front of House volunteers. Or your child can't do Brownies or Cubs due to lack of volunteers. Or your elderly parent can't have a hot dinner due to a shortage of Meals on Wheels volunteers.
The list is endless - this country would collapse without volunteers.

Another who both agrees and disagrees.

My voluntary roles (2, similar specialist roles) are really important to me - I've been in them for over 10 years. People who don't do this don't always get why I'll go through more training, or give up a day to do this for nothing but it's so important to me.

However, at points in my life when I have reached burnout and just needed extra time to myself, one of those is the first thing to press pause on. I pay to be there (we get petrol expenses but not parking), and unlike my paid job, not going does not mean my workload will be double the next time I'm there.