Volunteer
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How to address a concern with a volunteer or register a formal complaint.
Preamble
Annex Cat Rescue (ACR or the Organization) volunteers are expected to conduct themselves and the work they perform on behalf of the Organization in a manner that honours ACR’s reputation and does not detract from the public’s trust and confidence in ACR. Accordingly, all volunteers must comply with the Volunteer Code of Conduct.
If you have an issue with an ACR volunteer, or you have concerns that a volunteer may have violated the Code of Conduct, there are several steps you can take to address your concern:
- If you’re comfortable doing so, speak to the individual directly. Many conflicts can be resolved at the person level
- Contact your relevant Coordinator or Board Liaison and let them know about your concerns. They will work with you to address the concern or may refer you to the Board of Directors
- Contact a member of the Board of Directors directly
While you can complete these steps in any order (i.e. you may reach out to a Board member at any time), we encourage you to do so in the order above. You may also choose to make a Formal Complaint. This is a complaint received in writing that, upon request, will be reviewed by the Board of Directors.
Once a concern is presented, all or some of the following actions will be taken (all actions will be taken when a Formal Complaint is presented):
- A selected ACR representative will speak to both individuals involved. This could be by email, over the phone or in person. If possible, by request, we will do our best to maintain anonymity of the complainant
- The Board of Directors will review the concern (this review may include requesting further information, speaking to the parties involved, etc.) and determine if any further action is needed, such as a mediation session or termination of a volunteer
- A formal notice will be sent to both parties, letting them know the outcome of the complaint
We value all of our volunteers but cannot tolerate behaviour that hurts others or the reputation of the organization. Every effort will be made to come to a satisfactory resolution but it is possible a volunteer will be asked to take on a different role or leave ACR altogether. All actions taken will be to honour the safety and dignity of our members and volunteers, and to protect ACR’s reputation so we can continue serving the GTA’s homeless cat communities.