Volunteers are the backbone of thousands of UK-based organisations, from charities and schools to community groups and social enterprises. In 2025, 28% of adults volunteered, with volunteers contributing activities worth around £18 billion to the economy. That’s a lot of money! But when a volunteer relationship stops working, many organisations struggle to manage the situation professionally.

Handled badly, dismissing a volunteer can create reputational damage, team conflict and even legal risk.

Volunteers do not usually have the same employment rights as paid staff under the Employment Rights Act 1996. However, you still need to be mindful of obligations under the Equality Act 2010 and wider people management responsibilities.

The reality is simple: volunteers may not be your employees, but they still shape culture, reputation and public trust.

Why volunteer relationships break down

Volunteer dismissals usually happen because of:

• Poor performance
• Conduct issues
• Reliability concerns
• Failure to meet commitments
• Conflict with staff or other volunteers

‘Before ending the relationship, organisations should clearly identify the issue and document concerns, complaints and previous conversations,’ says Emma Clack of Heneom HR based in Welwyn and Stevenage. ‘Keeping accurate records helps demonstrate fairness and consistency if disputes arise later.’

Ignore reputational risk at your peril

One of the biggest mistakes organisations make is assuming volunteer exits are low risk as there is no employment contract involved.

In reality, volunteers often have strong emotional connections to your organisation’s mission and community. A poorly handled dismissal can quickly damage morale and reputation, particularly if concerns are shared publicly or across volunteer networks (people like to talk!).

It’s essential to consider whether there could be allegations of discrimination, especially considering  protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010. Seeking advice early can help reduce risk.

The importance of support and communication

Before dismissing a volunteer, you should consider whether enough support was provided.

Ask yourself:

• Were expectations clear?
• Was training offered?
• Did the volunteer receive feedback and opportunities to improve?
• Could adjustments or a different role have resolved the issue?

In some cases, mediation or reassignment may be more effective than termination.

‘If dismissal is necessary, communication should be professional, respectful and direct,’ explains Emme. ‘Avoiding difficult conversations or handling them informally often creates bigger problems later.’

Best practice for managing volunteers

To reduce disputes and improve volunteer management, you should ensure your organisation:

• Sets clear expectations, providing role descriptions, responsibilities and expected commitment levels from the start.
• Creates a complaints process, giving volunteers a clear way to raise concerns safely and fairly.
• Provides ongoing support, including regular supervision, feedback and check-ins to help identify issues early.
• Uses consistent procedures so that policies are applied fairly to avoid claims of favouritism or unfair treatment.
• Keeps written records with concerns, meetings and decisions documented throughout the relationship.
• Has a clear volunteer exit process to protect both the organisation and the individual.

Check employment status

Remember that volunteer arrangements can evolve over time. Providing regular payments, formal obligations or employee-style benefits could blur the line between volunteer and worker status.

The result? Unexpected employment rights risks.

‘I recommend creating a volunteers’ code of conduct and ensuring your volunteers are aware of the employee policies and how they should conduct themselves in line with expectations of an employee,’ advises Emma.

Does your organisation work with volunteers?

Ultimately, managing volunteers properly protects your organisation’s culture, reputation and long-term success.

Do you have the appropriate policies and lines of communication in place?

If in doubt, talk to the team at Heneom HR. Let’s discuss how you work with volunteers and how they – and your organisation – are protected. Let’s start with an initial discussion without obligation, without judgement or jargon.