Rights and obligations of volunteer organisers

A volunteer organiser has a number of obligations towards volunteers, as well as the obligation to submit an annual report to the Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy. In addition to obligations, volunteer organisers also have rights

As a volunteer organiser, you have the right to:

• participate in consultation and decision-making processes at all levels when you represent the interests and needs of volunteers as a stakeholder in the field of volunteering
• choose volunteers in accordance with your mission and vision, as well as the skills and profile of the volunteer when the nature of volunteering requires it
• be notified in a timely manner of the termination of volunteering by volunteers
• be acquainted with the ways of monitoring and assessing competences gained through volunteering.

Obligations of volunteer organisers

Obligations of volunteer organisers are the following:

• to respect the rights of volunteers
• to fulfil obligations towards volunteers
• to ensure the conditions for respecting the rights of volunteers
• to issue to the volunteer a written certificate of volunteering which contains the data prescribed by the Act
• to provide materials and resources for volunteer work
• to ensure payment of agreed expenses to the volunteer
• to ensure the confidentiality of volunteers’ personal data as well as protection of privacy
• to provide other conditions and respect the rights prescribed by the Act
• to establish an inclusive and effective volunteer selection process that will enable the inclusion of different groups, and especially encourage volunteering among socially excluded groups
• to develop quality standards that guarantee preparation and reporting, and offer personal guidance and support, supervision and mentoring throughout the volunteering process, as well as transparent evaluation and monitoring systems, preferably through the development of a quality assurance system
• to promote volunteering and its contribution to society and the individual
• to enable the volunteer to participate in the decision-making process regarding volunteering activities or services, which evokes a sense of belonging to the project
• to enable the volunteers to launch their own initiatives in accordance with the mission and vision of the volunteer organiser and the activities or services offered
• to enable the volunteers to gain skills, competences and experience in the field in which they carry out volunteer work
• to enable or advocate the introduction of tools for the recognition of competences, skills and experiences gained through volunteering, in cooperation with educational institutions and employers.

Certificate of volunteering

A certificate of volunteering contains personal data about the volunteer, data on the period of volunteering, training, a brief description of the volunteer work done, and other particularities of each form of volunteering.

Certificate of competences gained through volunteering

Everyone who volunteers in accordance with the provisions of the Act on Volunteering has the status of a volunteer, and has the right to, among other things, a written certificate of volunteering as well as a certificate of competences gained through volunteering, if they so request. In case of long-term volunteering, the volunteer organiser is obliged to issue a certificate of competences gained through volunteering at the request of the volunteer.

Certificate of competences gained through volunteering and Guide for Volunteer Organizers and Volunteers.

The purpose of the certificate is to support volunteers in the recognition of their competences gained through volunteering (which include knowledge and skills and associated autonomy and responsibility). The certificate confirms the engagement of volunteers and describes the activities/tasks performed, as well as skills and knowledge gained and developed through volunteering. With this certificate, the volunteer could improve and complete their CV, better present themself to a potential employer, and thus make their volunteer engagement more visible on the labour market.

The certificate confirms certain competences acquired through volunteering, however, there is no legislation in force under which volunteering could be recognised as work experience or equated with work experience.

Annual report

All volunteer organisers are required to submit a volunteer organiser’s report to the Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy. The report is submitted once a year (before the end of February).
The report can be submitted using a special application on the website of the Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy.

Volunteer organiser’s report.

The report form contains general data about the volunteer organiser, information about volunteering organised during the reporting period, information about the type of activity/service in which the volunteers were involved in the reporting period.