These are TOUGH situations! We essentially follow the same communication, coaching, and documentation process for volunteers that we do with our staff. Transparency, training, and making sure that volunteers understand the organizations expectations of them and their boundaries as a volunteer is key. Gentle conversations and coaching when you start to see issues is helpful, but if the issue is not resolved, moving on to more formal documentation - sending an email or doing a write up describing an incident and possible future consequences if the issue is not remedied, that the volunteer signs in your presence can be the next step. If, after that, the issue is still not resolved, a conversation and/or written communication letting them know that they are not a good fit for the program or organization should be sent. Again, this is so hard, but I've seen toxic volunteers do a lot of damage when left unchecked!
On another note - we've had GREAT success with certain volunteers by reassigning them to another program/location! The volunteer felt more successful and engaged and it was a huge relief to the staff members who had been struggling with them in their original volunteer capacity.
Hope this is helpful!
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Amber Kostoff
Executive Director
MCPAWS Regional Animal Shelter
McCall ID
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Original Message:
Sent: 04-20-2023 01:47 PM
From: Elizabeth Johnson
Subject: Volunteer termination
Do you have a process for essentially firing a volunteer? What is your bright line for doing so?
Interested to hear what others are doing.
#PeopleManagement(includingVolunteerIntegration)
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Elizabeth Johnson
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