Volunteer Agreement

What is a volunteer agreement?

A volunteer agreement is a formal legal document that outlines the relationship between an organisation and a volunteer. In Australia, a volunteer contract template does not create employment relations, as a volunteer is not entitled to any remuneration or employee benefits.

This document is intended for charities, religious, scientific or educational organisations or foundations operating across Australia to engage individuals to perform occasional work or services for the benefit of those organisations. The template helps to clearly outline the volunteer’s role and responsibilities, the duration of the engagement, any reimbursement arrangements, if available, and the termination provisions.

Who should use this volunteer agreement?

A well-drafted volunteer contract Australia template may be suitable for:

• various religious organisations such as churches or temples;
• public and private charities;
• scientific foundations or institutions;
• other non-governmental organisations operating across Australia.

This document cannot be used, however, by companies or businesses carrying out commercial activities for profit. To engage personnel for commercial projects or works, an independent contractor agreement, an employment contract or a service agreement should be used instead.

What should be included in this volunteer agreement contract template?

A professionally drafted and solid document template must include a number of essential elements.

Non-Employment Disclaimer

Any services or works performed under a volunteer agreement should not be confused with an employment relationship. It is therefore important that both parties understand that there is no relationship of subordination between an organisation and a volunteer. The volunteer must also clearly understand that the role is unpaid and does not provide any social or work benefits, such as paid sick leave or social contributions.

If the arrangement is similar to employment, including fixed working hours and remuneration, this volunteer agreement may be deemed an employment agreement under the Fair Work Act 2009.

Health and Safety Requirements

An organisation that engages volunteers for their projects shall ensure high standards of health and safety at any location where volunteers perform work or provide services. Depending on the nature of the organisation’s activities, these standards may include:

• provision of appropriate insurance for volunteers;
• provision of safety and protective equipment;
• provision of mandatory trainings or induction programs.

Confidentiality

Even a simple volunteer agreement template Australia may include a confidentiality clause requiring the volunteer to keep sensitive information about the organisation, its projects or events confidential. Such an obligation remains effective not only during the duration of a volunteer agreement but also some time after its termination.

Where appropriate, the organisation may also sign a separate confidentiality agreement to further define the volunteer’s obligations.

Compensation

Any contract between a volunteer and an organisation shall be created as an unpaid volunteer agreement template. This means that the volunteer does not receive regular compensation or remuneration for the work or services performed.

However, a volunteer contract may allow provision of compensation to cover reasonable expenses of volunteers, including transportation, accommodation, equipment, uniform or meals. If an organisation offers reimbursements, the amount, type and frequency should be set out in the document.

Role and Conduct

The document should also include:

• the name of a position which the volunteer shall occupy;
• the name of a supervisor or coordinator to whom the volunteer reports;
• the location where the volunteer work of services is done;
• start date and duration of the contract.

A typical volunteer agreement Australia must include the list of duties and general code of conduct a volunteer shall comply with. If, however, an organisation has separate policies, then the text of a contract may simply include a reference confirming that a volunteer shall comply with all the organisation’s internal policies, including the code of conduct, disciplinary policy, harassment policy, etc.

Termination

There are no strict rules governing the termination of a volunteer contract Australia template. Either party should be able to end the contract at any time by providing prior written notice to the other party. A standard notice period is between 7 and 30 days, depending on the duration of a contract.

Why use a template instead of drafting from scratch?

By customising this volunteer agreement Australia with Faster, you receive the following benefits:

• saves significant legal costs;
• the template is suitable for different types of charity organisations operating across Australia;
• the document has a professional structure;
• the document is created by real lawyers, and this is not a generic free template;
• the document can be easily modified or amended after the purchase;
• the document can be used for multiple similar organisations;
• the document complies with the basic requirements of the federal Health and Safety Standards, the Fair Work Act and other legislation;
• the document offers a two-sided balanced protection for both an organisation and volunteers.

How to customise this volunteer contract Australia template with FasterDraft?

To get a fully customisable document template, follow a few easy steps below:

1. Click the “Create Document” button.
2. Answer simple questions in the form.
3. Select a template’s format – volunteer contract Australia PDF or Word.
4. E-sign the document online.
5. Make payment.

The document is ready for instant download immediately after the purchase.