People who participate in their communities through volunteering feel happier, healthier and more socially connected. SLS volunteers are valuable members of every SLSC as most SLSCs are run entirely through volunteer effort.
Volunteers choose to support the SLSC as it suits them and through their own free will and choice. On average every surf lifesaver volunteers 32 hours each year.
- Reasons
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People volunteer for a variety of reasons including to learn new skills, help others, make new friends, explore career opportunities, feel needed, appreciated and useful, to gain a new direction in life, to give something back to the community or SLSC and most of all—to have fun! Many also see volunteering as an activity closely associated with happiness and wellbeing.
Finding what interests and motivates your volunteer members will help you make their experience more meaningful and satisfying, and in turn keep them interested and involved in helping your SLSC. Refer to the Membership section of this Club Guide for more information on ‘Recruiting new members’.
- Rights
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Although volunteer workers are not covered by awards and workplace agreements, they still legally have rights as per legislation. From a legal perspective they are considered as paid employees. Broadly, Club Management Teams (CMTs) must ensure volunteers are:
- Adequately covered by insurance and provided with an orientation to the workplace (SLSC)
- Given accurate and truthful information about Surf Life Saving
- Provided access to SLS policies and documents that impact their work, including any grievance procedures
- Provided with sufficient training to do their job as per the job description that includes agreed volunteer working hours
- Reimbursed for out-of-pocket expenses
- Have their confidential and personal information dealt with in accordance with the principles of the current Privacy Act
- Working in a healthy and safe environment that provides equal opportunity and is free from discrimination.