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Establishing: Volunteer Code of Conduct/Grounds for Dismissal

Each MRC volunteer should understand his or her responsibilities and what constitutes appropriate behavior. While some things, like a drug and alcohol policy, may seem obvious, document all policies and procedures related to safety, managing funds, or communicating with the media so that volunteers understand clearly what is expected of them. Documented policies and procedures allow a volunteer to refer to them and it indicates that you are serious about protecting your volunteers and those you serve.

Dismissing a potential volunteer is rarely pleasant, but it may be necessary for the MRC unit’s well-being. It is particularly important that a volunteer’s behavior does not compromise the safety of volunteers, response partners, or community members. To dismiss a volunteer from service, it is important that the grounds for dismissal be clearly communicated in advance of the behavior. Sometimes volunteers make mistakes because they were unaware of rules and codes of conduct. It is unfair to penalize them without first allowing them to demonstrate their willingness to follow clear rules and codes of conduct.

Volunteers need to know what is considered unacceptable conduct while they perform their roles and responsibilities.

Consider the following:

In your MRC unit, which behaviors will be considered categorically unacceptable?
Which behaviors will merit a warning or some form of probationary period?
Which behaviors will require a neutral third-party mediator to determine their severity?

Document answers to these considerations and include them in your training so that everyone understands the rules and what is acceptable and unacceptable behavior.

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Last Updated on 8/28/2006