Should we ask our volunteers to sign a volunteer agreement?

Co-authored with Chiara Muston

This year’s Volunteers’ Week is underway (1 – 7 June 2026) to help to celebrate and recognise the contributions of volunteers around the country. 

Related to this topic, we are sometimes asked whether a charity should ask its volunteers to sign a volunteer agreement. In short, a charity is not legally required to enter into any agreement in writing with its volunteers but we would normally recommend having one as it can be helpful for both the charity and the volunteers. However, it should ideally be short and uncomplicated and it needs to be well-drafted to ensure that it helps to clarify the arrangement and manage expectations. It is an opportunity to set out key points such as: 

• What the role is likely to involve (this could take the form of a role description rather than a job description)
• That the arrangement is voluntary and no employment relationship is intended
• That the volunteer does not have to turn up for work (though they may be expected to or generally work to a regular pattern)
• Whether any expenses are payable, whereas it should be clear that they will not receive any financial reward or benefit in kind
• What a volunteer can expect in terms of training, supervision and support
• What the charity expects from the volunteer (reference could be made to a volunteer code of conduct, for example)
• That the arrangement can be ended at any time by either the charity or the volunteer (without this amounting to dismissal or breach of contract)

From the charity’s perspective, the agreement should be drafted in a way which reduces the risk of an employee relationship inadvertently being created. It’s therefore important that the agreement does not create any binding obligations on either side which could suggest an employment relationship. The agreement should merely set reasonable expectations.

It is often crucial that their volunteers adhere to the charity’s standards, guidelines or certain policies (e.g. health and safety, equal opportunities, anti-harassment and data protection): the existence of such required standards, policies or guidelines to be followed by the volunteer does not in itself create an obligation on the volunteer or any mutuality of obligations.

Taking all of this into account, charities need to strike the right balance when entering into volunteering arrangements. Advice from experts in this field can give charities comfort on this and help avoid disputes around volunteers’ status.