EFCL Resource Guide - Human Resources

Your league will need to have various individuals – paid staff, contract employees or volunteers - perform certain functions on behalf of the league such as cleaning the rink or instructing a program. This section outlines practices your league should follow to keep your operation on a businesslike basis and avoid common issues when dealing with those being supervised.

Contracts

A contract does three important things:

1. It determines your rights and obligations: a contract can revoke the rights and obligations that you have under the common law or statute. Therefore, make sure you read it carefully to ensure that you get what you asked for and the other party isn’t entitled to take what you did not intend to give.

2. It allocates risks: try to anticipate what can go wrong and address these potential problems in advance. This implies knowing who is responsible if something goes wrong.

3. It provides a legal basis for restitution: every contract has the weight of the law behind it. If a party breaches an obligation mentioned in the contract, that breach can give risk to a legal claim for restitution.

To be enforceable in court, a contract must have six features:

1) Be made by legally competent parties.

2) Must not have as its purpose something illegal to do or have.

3) There must be something of value for both sides.

4) It must bind both parties.

5) It must be the result of mutual agreement.

6) It should be in writing.

P.S. Never hire a staff person or contractor without having both parties sign a contract.

There are basically two types of employment contracts:

1) Contract of service: insurable employment income – employer must deduct EI and CPP

2) Contract for service: non- insurable contract work. If an independent contractor is hired, CPP and income tax do not need to be deducted because the contractor is responsible for his own deduction.

The main difference between employees and contractors is the payer’s authority to exercise control over not only what work will be done but also the manner in which the worker will do the work. Even if the control is never exercised, this factor is strong evidence that an employer/employee relationship exists. In the case of an independent contractor, the employer is entitled to stipulate what is done or what result is achieved – but not the manner in which the work is completed.

All contracts should include the following information:

a) Date: This is important role because it establishes when the contract was entered into by the parties and the contract comes into effect.

b) Parties: The employment contract should contain the names of employer or company and employee. This helps reflect that the employee and employer have agreed and understand terms mentioned in the contract.

c) Terms: Terms set the rights and obligations of parties and explain what the agreement is about. Terms include:

- what the first party is going to do

- terms of payment

- matters relating to termination of the agreement

- general matters relating to the rights and obligation of the parties

d) Signature lines: The employee and employer should sign the contract indicating they both agree to be bound by the agreement terms.

See a few EFCL staff contract templates that leagues are encouraged to adapt for their own purposes

Conflict of Interest

The principal conflict of interest of community leagues is when a board member has a pecuniary (financial) interest in an issue before the league. Simply, this is where a director or a member of the director’s family is able to make money through a vote of the board.

To avoid this situation, the director should identify his/her conflict, excuse himself/herself from the room when the issue is being discussed and not participate in the vote on the matter.

P.S. If a director is faced with an ongoing conflict of interest, such as taking a paid staff position, it is best they resign from the board.

Example: Joe, a hypothetical board member, is kind enough to help out once in fixing a plumbing problem at the community hall. Joe is willing to do this sort of work in future, and is called upon more and more frequently. His fellow board members appreciate his skills and availability and offer him a small salary for his work. Now Joe has a decision to make. If he chooses to accept the salary, it’s time to resign from the board. He accepts the salary.

Another example of a potential conflict of interest situation would be the hiring of a board member’s relative to a position with the community league. The board member should not be part of the hiring process or exert any influence on anyone in the process.

A further example is the use of a board member’s company to provide supplies or services to the community league. Again, the board member should not be a part of any discussions. The board should follow all tendering policies for suppliers. In all cases, it is important to show in the minutes that the policies were followed and no favouritism was applied in any situation involving a board member.

If the services provided are ongoing in nature, such as hall or rink maintenance, the board member should resign as a director. It is very difficult to wear two hats on a continuing basis and any attempt to do so invariably leads to friction on the board. It also needs to be noted that a conflict of interest situation on the board of directors can void the liability insurance the league has taken out to protect its directors.

With respect to the members of a household that influence the issue of conflict, generally, the minimum level of family members who would present a conflict should be those living in the same household. For example, if a board member is married to someone who is receiving payment from the league, this would present a conflict of interest. Some not-for-profits expand the scope to include any family member, exclusive of residence. This would be represented in a policy or a bylaw as each organization deliberates.

Conflict/Issues Resolution

Conflict is a normal, inevitable part of life. Members of a volunteer board are likely to encounter conflicts sooner or later, sparked by differences in personality, values or perceptions. For most people, conflict takes the enjoyment out of their volunteer experience. Some may even consider leaving the board. Organizations experiencing frequent conflict often tend to have lower morale, lower productivity, higher turnover and more burnout.

It is important to note warning signs and behaviours that may create conflict so they may be addressed early. Following are some warning signs leading to serious conflicts:

Avoidance of an issue, situation or person
Mistrust
Violations of rules and working guidelines
Not accepting responsibility
Not doing one's job
Not listening
Lack of understanding
Power or status-based communication

Behaviours that may stir up conflict include:

Non-constructive criticism
Guilt trips
Blaming, defensiveness
Commands
Unhealthy competitiveness
Pushing someone's "buttons"
Using absolutes -- "You never...," "He always..."
Threats, dares

What can be done to prevent serious conflict, or to resolve conflict when it does arise?The board as a whole is responsible for ensuring a healthy working environment, and the board chair/president must be diligent in identifying the signs of serious conflict and dealing with the individuals involved before the situation escalates to become a serious problem.

Establish working guidelines that the whole board agrees to and has helped create.
Ensure all board members understand the board’s decision-making process and that the board is expected to support the final decision.
Keep discussions focused on the board’s annual (strategic) plan so all members understand the overall objective.
Listen to all opinions voiced around the table.
Accept the validity of others' views.
Learn and practise effective communication skills: active listening, or reframing points to ensure the original meaning is clearly understood.
Identify people's conflict styles: are they competitive, do they avoid conflicts, how do people cool off when they are angry?
Using the techniques of running efficient and effective meetings (see Page _), acknowledge all points of view, but keep the discussion moving.

Source: Resource Centre for Voluntary Organizations (RCVO), MacEwan College

If conflicts do occur, the board chair/president must deal with the individual(s) involved as soon as possible so the conflict does not hurt the efficiency and effectiveness of the board.

Speak privately to the individual(s) concerned to identify any underlying issues they may have. Do they feel they aren’t being heard? Do they understand why others are taking a different position? Do they understand what the board is trying to achieve? What is their motivation for taking their position? Are they simply overwhelmed with the amount of work involved?
Address the issues and identified information gaps as much as possible.
If the situation persists and causes serious issues for the board, the board chair/president may have to ask the individual(s) to reconsider their decision to be a member of the board and ask that person to resign his/her position. (Be sure to follow the procedure outlined in your bylaws for dismissing a board member.)

While this is a serious step to take, remember that the effectiveness of the board is at stake – and, as with all jobs, not every person is the right fit for every volunteer position. Ultimately, the individual will be happier without the stress and the board will function more effectively without the conflict.

Volunteer Management

Effective volunteers are the lifeblood of your community league – essential for planning and implementing the many programs and initiatives your league undertakes. Yet many leagues face ongoing struggles in attracting enough volunteers or those individuals with the right skills and enough time to help.

Managing volunteers requires planning, work and follow-up, but the rewards are huge. Volunteer management includes several steps:

Identifying volunteer needs
Volunteer recruitment
Volunteer screening
Volunteer training
Volunteer recognition
Volunteer discipline/dismissal

The starting point for good volunteer management is to work with other members of your board to ensure a strong league board. When your board is clear on its mandate and operation – what it wants to accomplish, when and how – communicating these essential pieces of information to other volunteers becomes easier.

It is useful to understand why individuals volunteer – and what prevents people from volunteering.

Volunteers step forward for many reasons. The Canada Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating (2000) reported that volunteers become involved in organizations because:

· 30% were asked by someone in the organization

· 16% approached the organization themselves

· 15% were a member of the organization

· 12% had a child or spouse involved in the organization

· 9% were asked by a friend or relative outside of the organization

The Canada Survey also reported the following reasonsfor volunteering:

· 95% of volunteers believed in the cause supported by the organization

· 81% of volunteers were involved to use their skills and experience

· 69% were motivated to volunteer because they were personally affected by the cause the organization supports

· 57% saw volunteer involvement as a way to explore their own strengths

· 30% of people became involved because of a friend’s involvement indicating a social motivation

· 23% of volunteers were motivated to be involved to improve their job opportunities

Source: Resource Centre for Voluntary Organizations (RCVO), MacEwan College, “Volunteer Recognition: Matching Motivations to Rewards.”

People don’t volunteer because:

nobody asked them,
they have no extra time or don’t want to make a long-term commitment
they don’t know how to get involved, or
they feel they have already contributed as a volunteer or gave money instead of time.

Identifying Volunteer Needs

Determining the correct number of volunteers is the first step to volunteer success. Too few means you will burn out those who come forward. Too many volunteers means they won’t have enough to do – and therefore won’t feel they have contributed in a meaningful way.

To identify the number of volunteers required:

review the records of your league’s previous programs, or
talk to EFCL or your CRC, or
get in touch with another community league who has undertaken a similar program and ask for their input.

P.S. Get into the habit of capturing the number of volunteers, their individual time commitment and the total number of volunteer hours invested in each program. This record will prove invaluable for future boards.

Volunteer Recruitment

There are a number of very effective ways of recruiting volunteers. Best results use a combination of all of these methods.

Word of mouth. Make sure people in your league know more volunteers are needed. Staff and volunteers who enjoy their work can be a group’s most effective recruiters. As well, every time your league holds a meeting or an event where your members are present, make a short announcement about the fun and opportunities available through volunteering.
Printed materials. Keep the message simple. Remember who you are trying to reach and “talk” directly to them. For example, if you are trying to interest seniors in volunteering, let them know you could make use of their skills and experience – and you won’t need them to work more than a few hours at a time. Make use of your newsletter!
Website. Websites offer a valuable way to keep information about volunteer opportunities up to date. Keep the information short and specific.
Face-to-face meetings. Personal contact is often the most effective way of recruiting new volunteers. Go door knocking or call your members, keeping in mind a household’s busy times of day so your call gets off to a good start.

Keep these hints in mind for successful recruiting:

Recruit with a specific role in mind, rather than asking for “anybody to do anything.”
Go to people whose interests and skills match your league’s needs.
Be honest – don’t cover up or downplay the task as unimportant, the “anybody can do it” syndrome. (Why should I want to do it if anybody else could?)
Recruit year round – plant the seeds early. “May we contact you in November when elections are being held?”
Use many different recruitment techniques.
Treat the job as an opportunity, not as a task that the person ought to be concerned about.

See a volunteer application form template you may wish to adapt for your league’s use.

Volunteer Screening

Should you screen your volunteers? Yes – particularly those who will be handling funds or working with children. Although most volunteers are committed individuals who care about their community, every league has a responsibility to protect their members. Your board has a responsibility to exercise reasonable diligence and care in these matters, meaning your league should adopt generally accepted practices used in similar organizations.

Any organization that provides programs or services to people who are vulnerable because of their age (children or seniors), disability or emotional state needs to screen its volunteers.

Volunteer Canada's Safe Steps Screening Program provides an easy-to-use method for organizations to ensure the people they serve are safe. The safe steps are like a menu – you only need to select those steps that apply specifically to positions within your organization.

The 10 steps are:

Determine the risk
Organizations can control the risk in their programs. Examining the potential for danger in programs and services may lead to preventing or eliminating the risk altogether.
Write a clear position description
Careful position descriptions send the message that an organization is serious about screening. Responsibilities and expectations can be clearly set out, right down to things to the position should and should not do. A clear position description indicates the screening requirements. When a volunteer changes positions, the screening procedures may change as well.
Establish a formal recruitment process
Whether you post notices for volunteer positions or send home flyers, they must indicate that screening is part of the application process.
Use an application form
The application form provides needed contact information. If the volunteer position requires other screening measures (medical exam, driver's record, police records check), the application form will ask for permission to do so.
Conduct interviews
The interview offers a chance to talk to the potential volunteer about his or her background, skills, interests and availability, and also to explore any doubts about the suitability of the candidate. In other words, the interview will help determine the "right fit."
Follow up on references
By identifying the level of trust required in the position and asking specific questions, the applicant's suitability may be easier to determine. People often do not expect their references to be checked. Do not assume that applicants only supply the names of people who will speak well of them.
Request a Police Records Check
A Police Records Check is just one step in a 10-step screening process. These records checks send the message — in a very public way — that the league is concerned about the safety of its participants.
Conduct orientation and training sessions
Screening does not end once the volunteer is in place. Orientation and training sessions offer an opportunity to observe volunteers in a different setting. These sessions also allow organizations to inform volunteers about policies and procedures. Probation periods give both the organization and the volunteer time to learn more about each other.
Supervise and evaluate
The identified level of risk associated with a volunteer position will determine the necessary degree of supervision and evaluation. If the risk is great, it follows that the volunteer will be under close supervision. Frequent feedback in the first year is particularly important. Evaluations must be based on position descriptions.
Follow up with program participants
Regular contact with participants and family members can act as an effective deterrent to someone who might otherwise do harm. Volunteers should be made aware of any follow-up activities that may occur. These could include spot checks for volunteers in high-risk positions.

For more information, visit:

· Volunteer Canada’s website at www.volunteer.ca

· RCVO at www.rcvo.org

· Volunteer Alberta at www.volunteeralberta.ab.ca

· Volunteer Edmonton at www.volunteeredmonton.com

P.S. It’s much easier to decline a volunteer application than to terminate a volunteer after the fact.

You should complete a security check if your employees or volunteers deal with the following areas:

Contact with the vulnerable sector - children (under age of 18), the disabled and the aged.
Financial management. Responsible for handling or managing the finances of the organization.
Information management. Responsible for managing personal information of individuals associated with organization.
Organizational integrity. Holds a place of authority within the organization whose integrity is essential to the credibility of the organization.

Types of Security Checks

Child Welfare Check. Indicates whether the applicant has ever been involved in a child intervention investigation.

RCMP. Records of criminal convictions attainable through Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) for which a pardon has not been granted plus records of outstanding criminal charges which the RCMP are aware of or indicated within the Investigative Data Bank of CPIC.

Edmonton Police Service (EPS). Disclosure of information from EPS local records, Justice OnLine Information Network (JOIN) Alberta Court records and CPIC national police records. EPS disclosure includes:

· convictions,

· specific sentences,

· alternative measures/extrajudicial sanctions,

· pending/outstanding charges,

· outstanding warrants,

· not criminally responsible – mental disorder pardons,

· court orders, and

· pardoned records of convictions sexual in nature and/or involving children (requires vulnerable sector consent).

To obtain a Police Information Check from EPS:

The volunteer fills out the Police Information Check form, available only at Police headquarters, 9620 – 103A Avenue. Costs vary.
The completed Police Information Check is then returned to the applicant to protect his or her personal information. The applicant may or may not choose to present documentation to the league. If he or she chooses not to present the required documentation, you may choose not to accept the individual into the position.
The league must have written authority from the volunteer to photocopy and retain results from the security check.

Be aware there are limitations to security clearances. For example, information is limited by:

the information provided by the applicant (such as name and birth date),
the date the check is conducted (so it won’t include current investigations or charges), and
no knowledge of whether the individual is currently involved in unreported criminal activity.

Your league can also consider the following checks depending on your individual circumstances:

Criminal History Check where a volunteer position exposes the organization or members to specific liabilities or vulnerabilities. Contact your local police agency for more information.

Driver’s abstract/auto insurance if driving a vehicle is a requirement of volunteer service. Visit any registry office for more information.

Child Welfare Check if the volunteer is working directly with children in an unsupervised environment. For more information, visit http://www.programs.alberta.ca and use the search terms “child welfare check.”

Certification documents may be required for the volunteer position (i.e.) first aid, life guard, diploma, etc.

P.S. Remember, all personal information is confidential.

For more information on screening programs and security checks, contact:

volunteer@edmonton.ca
Resource Centre for Voluntary Organizations at 780-497-5616 or www.rcvo.org for information or help in developing a screening program. RCVO also has a good selection of materials, including “Beyond Police Checks” related to setting up systems and policies.

Volunteer Training

All volunteers, from those serving on the board to those helping with a single special event, need training and orientation to do their best work.

Volunteers working on an ongoing basis at several different tasks need to understand:

the big picture – the league’s overall mission, it structure and how it accomplishes its mission,
their specific duties on behalf of the league, and
the logistical details they need for completing their tasks.

For these volunteers, consider compiling a handbook, or short manual, that gives them the above information. The handbook might include:

league organization chart
league mission and goals
List of all volunteer positions
Training overview
Facility information
Emergency procedures
Information specific to his/her volunteer position
Volunteer recognition program

Short-term volunteers working, for example, for one special event require less information about the overall league. For these volunteers, consider offering a one-page fact sheet of useful information.

See our Volunteer Job Description template you may wish to adapt for your league’s use.

Volunteer Recognition

Recognizing volunteers is essential for retaining these essential workers. Volunteers will participate in your league as long as they believe their work is accomplishing something, they are appreciated and their contribution makes a difference.

P.S. The key to keeping volunteers engaged in your organization is to determine what motivates them and then to recognize them based on their motivations.

Linking recognition to personal motivation results in a meaningful experience. Examples may be:

Motivation	Recognition or Support
To contribute to a particular cause…	· Demonstrate how involvement is contributing to a cause · Sharing stories of how contributions are making a difference
To utilize skills & experiences…	· Ensure proper placement of volunteer · Ensure the best use of volunteers skills, experiences and time are considered
To socialize with others…..	· Provide recognition opportunities that have a social component. · Ensure volunteer is in a team setting and not working in isolation
To gain new skills or improve job opportunities…..	· Provide training or skill improvement opportunities · Provide references · Job coaching or mentoring opportunities

There are two types of recognition methods that should be built into your volunteer program:

Spontaneous recognition: is best used to recognize a volunteer’s involvement and contribution immediately. It does not generally need a lot of planning, but make sure that the recognition is offered very soon after the job is completed.

Organized recognition: is a more formal way to recognize volunteer contributions. It usually involves a larger, organized event and demonstrates that volunteer contributions are valued by the organization.

P.S. Ask your volunteers what forms of recognition they would appreciate – and build their answers into your recognition program.

Whatever form your recognition takes, remember that individuals react differently to public recognition. Diverse personalities, values and cultures all influence appropriate recognition. Be sure to learn more about—and to respect—others’ choices.

Source: Resource Centre for Voluntary Organizations (RCVO), MacEwan College, “Volunteer Recognition: Matching Motivations to Rewards.”

Volunteer Discipline/Dismissal

Volunteers, like paid employees, sometimes find themselves in positions that don’t suit their skills and needs. Other times, a volunteer has devoted too much time and energy to the organization and simply burns out.

In either case, some volunteers will quit the league and offer valid reasons for moving on. In other cases, action may be required on the part of the board member responsible for the volunteer to either work with the individual to improve his/her performance or, ultimately, to dismiss the volunteer.

Disciplining or dismissing an individual who is working voluntarily for your league is never an easy thing to do – but it sometimes is necessary for the good of the league. An unhappy volunteer can lower the morale of the entire league, undoing a lot of the collective good work of the organization.

Following are some suggestions if discipline or dismissal is required:

Ensure your facts regarding the volunteer’s job and his/her job performance are accurate and complete.
Speak privately (ensure no one else can overhear the conversation) with the volunteer to determine issues and problems from his/her perspective.
Review the job description with the individual and point out, in a non-threatening way, how his/her job performance is hurting the league’s efforts. (Be sure to recognize those aspects of the job done well.)
Be certain the volunteer understands the specific aspects of the job he/she needs to improve.
Ask for ways you and the volunteer can work together to correct the situation.
Set a specific timeframe for the job performance to improve and outline the steps you will take, including dismissal from position, if performance does not improve.
Follow up according to the timeframe you discussed. If dismissal is necessary, thank the volunteer for his/her efforts and, if appropriate, invite the individual to consider another volunteer position in future that better fits the motivations, skills and time availability.