volunteering and holiday time off

[mollykins]

If i'm volunteering somewhere (possibly being paid for my bus fare) rather than being paid (properly) is a company more likely to be happy with me going away with cadets in the summer holidays? if you're only volunteering, then you're optionally giving up your free time so I think you'd be less obliged to attend eevry single week, of course if there's laods of times when you don't turn up and don't tell them why, then they're likely to tell you to leave but if it's only one or two weeks in the summer and you tell them in advance then that's different . . .

[boxtops]

Molly, if you enter into a volunteer role then you will indeed be expected to turn up and work, they will be relying on you. I work with several voluntary organisations and each one of them depends entirely on the volunteer tipping up and getting on with the job, the volunteers' work is every bit as important as any paid staff. It's not like a drop-in option - you say you are going to work there in your holidays, you go in. It's excellent to have voluntary work on your c.v. and a reference from a place where you have volunteered is just as useful to a future employer as a paid job. You'll get work experience, it'd be a great idea, but you do have to give it your all - otherwise don't bother. There is no "not attending" when you have said you will, unless you have requested in advance not to go in, e.g. to go to the dentist. It's just like having a proper short-term job.

[wolf63]

I volunteer in a charity shop and work the same shift(s) each week. I need to give as much notice as possible if I can't get in for a particular shift. Some times we swap shifts with somebody else.

It is like boxtops says - they are relying on you turning up when you say you will.

[mollykins]

Depending on how it turns out, I'd probably offer to do extra days in other weeks to make up for it . . .

[Prudie]

Wouldn't you be better looking for a paid summer job of any type so you can start saving for that mini-gap trip you want?

[mollykins]

I'd like to get a paid job, but if not i could use my saving and replenish that account when I do have a job . . .

[PipinHull]

They will be relying on you to turn up when you say you will, that's true. But if you are clear from the outset that you have responsbilities over the summer with cadets then they won't be expecting you to turn up. Charities and voluntary organisations are all different, some of them would welcome volunteer assistance even on an ad hoc basis, but probably not places like retail outlets. Why don't you try your local CVS - like a volunteer job shop - and explain your circumstances? Most places will expect you to have some sort of useful skills though - if they have to spend a lot of time training you etc they might expect a longer commitment.

[ethandron]

it depends on the nature of the volunteer role.
i'm by myself for my volunteering afternoon, but there is also a bank of volunteers who can be contacted to come in if i can't make it so it's really not a problem.
my other half is with a large group of volunteers, maybe up to 12 of them, so he isn't missed if he can't make it.
however, we both always try to give them as much notice as possible for any time off as we feel it's only polite to do so.

[mollykins]

The sea life centre is quite big and employs quite a few staff, I'm sure they would welcome extra volunteers and could cope if one of them went on holiday for a week.

[PipinHull]

They might well do - don't forget that you'd probably be given different jobs to paid staff (volunteers should never be used to replace paid staff). Somewhere that big will probably have a volunteer application and recruitment programme and you may find there is quite a bit of competition, especially at the moment with more people out of work and trying to build up skills.

[joko]

as long as you give them plenty of notice they will be fine about it...they cannot expect you not to go

[mollykins]

And away with cadets will be one week and it doesn't look like we'll be able to afford a family holiday this year so if i only do one day at the weekend there I can go boating with cadets on the other day . . .

[PipinHull]

Just a 'thanks' will do!