...Volunteering... and abuse of volunteers...

I struggled to find a better word that 'abuse' to use on the title of this post. Frankly because this is exactly what I am going to talk about today. Abuse of volunteers.

I already mentioned possibly exploitation of volunteers on a previous post. I remind you that volunteering does not equal exploitation. The two are miles away when volunteers offer their services in return for something: training, professional references, networking, as a personal rewarding experience, in the hope that one can land a job...you call it. 

So, when is volunteering an abuse? 

I answer this question based on personal experience (I have been volunteering in various settings in the last 16 years). 

Are you shouting at me? No thanks!

Volunteering is abuse when:

• your boss keeps asking you to do more hours than you can give to the project / cause
• your boss makes you do the work that should be done by paid staff
• you have to pay your weight in gold in order to volunteer (a.k.a. 'milking the cow' volunteering')
• your personal information is not personal any more.
• you were supposed to be CRB checked in order to volunteer, but nobody has bothered to CRB check you. If your boss CRB checks you, you can put it on your CV. Although your new boss may CRB check you anyway.
• you do all the hard work while others (staff and volunteers) are watching - and they do not offer a helping hand.
• you are unsupervised
• nobody provides you any training / new skills
• your boss makes you do thinks without considering your health and safety
• your travel expenses are not (partly) covered - unless this is not an issue for you.
• your boss abuses your networking connections
• your boss abuses your 'repairing the laptop' skills
• they call YOU first every time they need someone to volunteer - and this happens ALL the time (or very often). You are not there to cover (all) emergences remember. 
• You are bullied by the staff / other volunteers (because bullying among volunteers does exist).
• your boss makes you do things that you don't enjoy, whether you like it or not. 
• you are seen in an inhumane manner (as a slave; use your imagination here). 
• you are brainwashed for things and you are emotionally abused (e.g. this frequently happens in religious and political settings of volunteering). 
• you are not allowed to offer your opinion / view
• the staff does not treat you as 'one of us' and as 'equal'. 
• your confidence is going down instead of going up while you volunteer
• you are not allowed breaks / time for yourself (e.g. time to pray if you are a Muslim). 
• you have to pretend you like doing something when you don't (don't pretend you can work with children if you don't like being around them).
• you are told to take illegal action whether you believe in a cause or not (use your imagination here). Unless of course you WANT to take illegal action (see 'activism' - nothing wrong with this). Then, YOU face the circumstances like an adult.
• people don't treat you with respect
• you don't enjoy it. 

I hope I have not left any major issues out but I am sure that you get the point. Be careful when you volunteer and make sure you know how to set your limits and how to withdraw from the post, if for any reason, you don't want to do it any more.