Your rights and responsibilities

Volunteer rights and responsibilities with regard to the law.

In the UK, volunteers don’t have a legal status in the same way that paid workers do. Volunteers are not covered by employment law and so do not have formal rights to redress in an Employment Tribunal.

That means that volunteers don’t have the right to have an organisation follow proper investigative procedures when things go wrong, or the right to appeal a decision made by the organisation.

You have the right to complain or walk away, but we’d encourage you to complain first to give the organisation the chance to investigate and do their best for their volunteers.

Check out our frequently asked questions on volunteering for practical advice and guidance.