I have some volunteers that are more trouble than they are worth, but they are good-hearted people who mean well. Another team leader suggested I fire them. Can a nonprofit ethically get rid of people who want to help?

Not only is it ethical to occasionally “fire” a volunteer, it is sometimes the only ethical choice. But it is far from always ethical.

Of course, problems should first be dealt with by helping the person improve. The problem volunteer may need more training. He or she may need a mentor or buddy. Think about what could have caused the problems. Were the instructions clear? Were expectations communicated clearly enough? Were the tasks outside of the volunteer’s skill set or comfort level but placed on him or her despite quiet protests? Most nonprofits could not function without volunteers, and one should not give up lightly on someone willing to donate time and effort to your cause.

Unfortunately, there are volunteers for whom none of those solutions work. I remember one who repeatedly went into the aisles at events and harassed attendees to buy raffle tickets, despite clear instructions not to do so. She almost got the organization kicked out of events important to its cause. She caused so many other problems that other volunteers were naming her as their reason for quitting! She was volunteering in both direct service and at events, and others were complaining about her in both hats. And her sales attempts were not bringing in extra funds.

When you have a volunteer no one else wants to work with, and who is costing the organization staff time and productivity as well, can you let that situation continue?

Come back to your decision-making process. Which option serves the mission best? Well, in the case I mentioned, the individual could not possibly work enough hours to make up for the volunteers who were quitting because of her. And her actions were harming the reputation of the organization. In both ways, she was putting client services at risk. Nonprofits have a responsibility to use their resources for mission achievement. Staff and volunteer time to manage a problem volunteer may be deemed time taken away from mission achievement, but consider also that the work the person is doing is important (surely you are not using a volunteer for something unimportant), so someone else must be found to do it.

Second, the organization should consider its long-term relationships with stakeholders such as colleagues, donors, volunteers, and community members. Remember that you may be hearing only from those unhappy with the volunteer. Who will be upset if the person is released? Will the person bad-mouth the organization to its supporters? If so, will the person be credible and cost you other volunteers and donors? Maybe they are worth another try at improvement, after all.

Third, in what way does keeping or firing a volunteer strengthen or weaken your own personal integrity? Can you comfortably explain the reasons behind this decision to the media and your family? This may be the hardest question when a good-hearted person is being let go. Was everything really tried first to help remove the problem instead of the person?

If the story becomes public, will the media coverage be sympathetic or look for some discrimination or bias? For example, if you have 200 volunteers and this person was the first of a particular skin colour, religion or disability, might it seem as if you are firing him or her for being different instead of for not performing? And if so, might that perception be right? Maybe the appropriate accommodations were not made or the communication style was inappropriate for that person’s culture.

Finally, is anyone harmed or at risk of harm by this choice, and has that harm been minimized or reversed? Of course, someone is harmed – at minimum, the volunteer will be upset. They may be extremely upset and depressed, especially if the volunteering was critical to their self-esteem or a major part of their social life. Did you find a way to minimize that harm? Was there a one-person special job they could have done from home? Could they make phone calls instead of coming to volunteer? Could you make an introduction to another organization where their skill set would be more valued? Is there an award or honourary title they could be given?

So “firing” a volunteer is only ethical if every reasonable effort has first been made to turn the person into a valuable volunteer, and if the firing is actually in the best interest of the mission.

Unfortunately, I have seen firings that could not possibly be justified on any of the grounds above. The volunteer simply backed the losing candidate for chair of the board, or pressed an intolerant organization to become more open and respectful, or did such a good job some staff person became insecure. Some of the very best volunteers have been fired. In certain nonprofits, this happens so often that being fired is almost a badge of honour.

To sum up, lack of pay is no reason to retain someone who is harming mission achievement, but the nonprofit has to first make sure that appropriate efforts have been made to improve the performance. The nonprofit must consider whether its style of working with volunteers is the problem rather than the individual.

That said, a volunteer could be abruptly fired for “just cause” in the same way as an employee, if actions are sufficiently egregious. If a volunteer displays behaviour towards staff or clients that violates generally accepted values such as human rights codes, you cannot retain such a person. Racist remarks, sexual harassment and other such actions justify quick removal.

Now, if we could just find a way to fire or retrain bullies on the board…

Since 1992, Jane Garthson has dedicated her consulting and training business to creating better futures for our communities and organizations through values-based leadership. She is a respected international voice on governance, strategic thinking and ethics. Jane can be reached at jane@garthsonleadership.ca.

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