Working for a small charity

[Rattlesnats]

I worked for a smallish charity for 6 years. I essentially ‘saved’ the charity from folding and then went on to grow it. It possibly became a labour of love as I felt very passionate about its cause. I didn’t have set hours but did receive a set ‘wage’ each month. The hours I worked and the role obviously grew and grew till the point I asked for a raise and was declined, and then months later they were unwilling to firm up any terms/leave when I announced my pregnancy. In the end we parted ways as I felt I had no option, but I do now however have a very good reputation locally for what I achieved.

So I have been contacted and asked to do the same with another smaller charity (not linked), this time with an hourly wage, but again no terms or contract. I’ve questioned it and been told it is very common place for smaller/medium size charities to run like this?

I do love this type of work and know I can really turn this charity around but I’m feeling anxious about history repeating itself?!

Anyone experienced similar? Or advice please?

I’ve worked with/for/running small charities and I wouldn’t consider paying someone without a proper contract in place! Even if it’s a zero hours contract, or a freelance one. Protects both the individual and the charity.

I'm a trustee of a small charity. No way would we employ someone without a contract. Again, it's about protecting the organisation as much as the employee.

I have worked in this world and had to fight to formalise all sorts of things that people in employment would generally take for granted.

However, being expected to take on the role of a senior officer within a charity yet not having a contract is a step beyond the pale.

Put your foot down now, or no starting.

You turned the last charity around by working way beyond the hours you were being paid for while they took advantage of you.

Don't be a mug and do it again.

I've worked in several small charities, including the one I run now, and I've always had a contract.

It sounds like “how we employ people” is the first thing you need to turn around at this charity… they may be worried about getting tied into employing someone they can’t afford if the money dries up, but of course, if no contract is issued one is still implied, so they are tied in anyway!
In any case, it is very unlikely this job will be a neatly defined, clock on clock off sort of job, however well-drafted the contract ends up being…

I am a small charity manager and it sounds dodgy to me. If they are expecting you to do enough work to turn the organisation round, they need to employ you properly with a contract.

In a previous charity role I offered to create my own employment contract and get myself set up on payroll as there were no existing staff and trustees didn't have enough time to organise. You need a contract.

I work p/t for a small charity and have one p/t colleague. We both have proper contracts and i wouldn't have taken the role without one.

I work for a small charity. I get an agreed fee every month and I have a letter from the Chair of Trustees confirming the arrangement (which I’m happy with). Every one else is on an hourly rate or salary. They all have contracts and job descriptions. There are 6 employees and me. Our internal auditor insists on seeing contracts when preparing year end accounts

If they’re headhunting you tell them you insist on a contract

Great thanks all. This is exactly what I thought in the last job and stupidly let them make me doubt myself and I don’t want to go down that route again.

Definitely get a contract - and as others said, see this as a first step to turning the charity around too. Good HR practices and looked-after staff is the foundation stone for any organisation.

I am also a trustee of a charity and work for one and i would find what your being offering unacceptable. I would wonder what their understanding of employment law is and would also question where the funding for this role is coming from. They could have 1 years funding available from a grant for example but that should be made to you. I would be cautious.

I work for a very small charity and have had a contract in place from the start. I work on a self-employed basis, billing them for hours worked. Not great as hourly rate is only NMW, with no holiday or sick pay. The NCVO website has a lot of useful guidance and templates (in my case none of the trustees have any knowledge of employment law).

It's normal to be freelance or zero hours at least at first, but you should have a basic contract with hourly rate, holiday pay, sickness policy etc. the only exception is if you are a self employed consultant but from an hmrc perspective it would be illegal unless it is set up in a very specific way.

Before dismissing the opportunity find out what they mean by no contract - it could be meant a different way as in no set timeframe, if it's run by volunteers they may not use the correct terminology

Update-
i asked what the situation was in an email and had no reply to that specific question so I met with them face to face and asked.

It’s linked to a Doctors surgery and I asked if I’d employed by the charity or the NHS-they said the charity but there’s no contract?
I asked about holiday and they said that someone can cover my work but there’s no set limit on days allowed off, it’s by mutual agreement. I asked about sick pay and the lady in situ said yes she still got paid but hadn’t ever really been off ill (she works very PT for the charity and all other hours for the NHS).

So I questioned if she is actually self employed and she says she ‘bungs her earnings in with her husbands business as an ‘honorary’ or something?’
I completely do not understand this but she kept repeating herself at me and made me feel a bit stupid so in the end I said I’d want a contract and to be employed or im
not interested.

I haven’t missed anything here have I? It’s them not me?!

It’s them not you, and you were right to insist

No you haven't. They are a shambles and to be avoided because I think even with a contract they will have other expectations.

So wish I’d read this thread sooner. Charities have been a complete eye opener.

I found a lot of churn and so much sickness for depression, nearly every other member under management or except marketing is away for depression / stress - could only put it down to absence of policies, lack of communication, ask no questions and an unspoken rule that people don’t take time off leading to surely an unhappy work force.

It’s them, not you. The whole set-up sounds completely dodgy.

They aren't compliant with the basics, are they?

Sounds like they are operating illegally

I worked for a very small charity for many years.
it was ok until something bad happened at work with another employee and I raised a grievance. The trustees were responsible for dealing with it, and there were endless delays. I ended up leaving