As a direct result of an open structure, if a volunteer is asked to leave as a result of a complaint being upheld and not being resolved, it needs to be done firmly but with fairness.

Leaving the Organisation:

Many organisations find volunteer retention difficult and volunteers sometimes seem to leave all too frequently. Nevertheless, this freedom to come and go, without redress, is at the heart of the volunteering experience and a odds with employment law. Some organisations may feel that they require a specified commitment from their volunteers, however, this can prove problematic if in so doing it creates a more formal, legally binding agreement.

At whatever stage a volunteer wishes to leave, it is essential that his/her input is valued and recognised. One way of doing this is to obtain and value their opinion on the work of the organisation and volunteer involvement. Current thinking that in leaving volunteers are given the opportunity to discuss their work and reasons for leaving. Useful questions which may be to ask volunteers who decide to leave the include:

1) What was your role? Did this change over time? If yes, how?

2) What did you best like about volunteering with this organisation?

3) What did you least like about volunteering with us?

4) What improvements would you make for changes or improvements in the organisation's involvement of volunteers?

5) Would you recommend other people to come and volunteer with this organisation?

From gathering such information as a volunteer leaves, it is possible to build up a picture of volunteering within the organisation and this information could prove invaluable to the organisation as it may be used to contribute to the future retention of other volunteers.

It may be found that several volunteers leave for the same reason; this information will allow the Volunteer Manager to implement any changes considered necessary to aid future retention of volunteers.