Volunteering and cliquey staff

[myhaggisblewup]

I realise that lines can be blurred between volunteers and paid staff but...
I've just left a vountary role [6 years] I loved because in the last few months the staff have become cliquey and dismisissive of the volunteers. We all did our best and were regularly praised by managers and thanked by various staff at the end of the shift. I seemed to get on well with them, but recently have felt a bit shunted out. Staff set up not changed, we were kept in the loop with changes etc.
I over heard someone talking about the xmas do for the volunteers on site and the staff were invited, one said "I'm not doing that, some are complete fuck wits, it's bad enough having to work along side a, b and c let alone socialise for half an hour as well."
One of my colleagues was regularly been slagged off behind her back as she is a talker whislt working. She is blissfully unaware that staff dislike her and she would be so upset as she loves the work. She doesn't even see they make excuses not to work with her either.
The worksite c.e.o has said that they relies on volunteers and couldn't run the set up without them, these staff would be out of a job.
I get the dymanics between paid and unpaid are different , but this seems nasty.
everyone welcomes you then is bitchy behind your back.
It's put me right off trying again, because I know if I went to another place and similar happened I'd lose my rag and give a verbal bashing right back.
Anyone similar experiences or aibu to expect any different?

Unfortunately these type of dynamics are not restricted to “volunteers v paid staff” situations they can be just as prevalent in a purely professional setting with paid staff only and can occur in any industry / office environment, it’s all down to the individuals. So no YANBU for being put off working in that environment but YABU thinking it only happens between volunteers and paid staff.

I volunteer at my local hospital, nothing very difficult, just giving outpatients directions to their appointments, taking prescriptions to wards etc. and also helping do basic admin on wards. I would say 75% of staff treat us volunteers as invisible, or like something they've trodden in. Maybe they think we're after their jobs, I don't know. It's demoralising but I like my job so I try not to let it bother me. At least there are some nice staff.

Urgh this is horrible, I’ve worked in roles for several years which rely on fabulous volunteers and as a team we wouldn’t dream of making our volunteers feel so uncomfortable. We absolutely rely on them, and without their hardwork we wouldn’t have an organisation.
It may help that I also volunteer elsewhere, so know what it’s like to be a volunteer.

Do you have a volunteer coordinator/lead at your organisation OP? Could you approach them?

I have retired and do some voluntary work, it’s very variable and with all getting togethers of groups of people some are just not going to warm to others so much just like any workplace.

There seems to be a real range of volunteers skill sets or lack of skills in the places I have worked. No one has ever been awful about volunteers though to my knowledge.

I voted yabu because it has nothing to do with volunteers or permanent staff. Sone people are just not nice. You could find the same in any workplace in the country

The poster who stated this kind of division can happen in any environment is correct. People can split along the most illogical lines. When I attended uni as a mature student a certain social function was disgussed and I overheard the arrangements. When I mentioned this to one of the tutors he said "We dont usually invite undergraduates. Only postgrads". I laughed and told him not to be so old fashioned. I reminded him that I was in a very different social position to the other undergraduates being older and having come from a management background. In any case I simply showed up suitably dressed and no one said a word of reproach. After that I turned up at similar occasions as of a right. Sometimes you just have to learn to push your nose in.

Thanks for the feed back everyone, I guess some of it is down to indiviuals not wanting to 'get lumbered with volunteers' especially if they have their own routine and an older disrupts that but on the other hand as a volunteer who know what they are doing and what needs to be done, maybe some staff see them as a 'threat'.
It's put me off even so, but I think it positive in the fact I can pursue new interests.
Not voluntary though.😄

Since I've retired I've done a lot of volunteering and everywhere is different.
If you pick the right place volunteering is brilliant fun and really rewarding. Pick the wrong place and it's miserable.

In my experience I've found local groups of people who come together to do projects e.g. litter picking, beach cleans, Christmas lights are more relaxed, equal and satisfying. Least satisfying are places with rigid rules (National Trust I mean you) or where community service staff are placed in amongst the volunteers because those guys REALLY do not want to be there (Shelter).

@SeaAndStars My DD volunteered at the National Trust at a couple of different properties, as it was helpful to her degree and future career aspirations. She was made really welcome - despite being only 20, so significantly younger and less experienced than the other volunteers. The permanent staff were lovely, and really went the extra mile to help her get a taste of lots of different areas of the work.

I'm glad it worked out for her @Seeline and can see how helpful that would have been at her stage in life. I volunteered as a retired person who just wanted to potter in their garden and all the organisation, compulsory training and 'opportunity' didn't suit me. It's certainly friendly though and the opportunity to work in beautiful places is great