Volunteering

To Volunteer or Not?

Volunteering during the Instructional Day 

There are a number of circumstances in which ETFO members may feel they should volunteer in schools. 
Many members volunteer in classroom settings before beginning to teach in hopes of securing a spot 
in Teacher Education Programs. ETFO members working on a part-time or occasional basis may feel 
volunteer work will improve their chances of being hired for full-time, permanent contracts, long-
term occasional work, or work as an Educational Assistant (EA), Designated Early Childhood Educator 
(DECE), Professional Support Worker (PSP), or Educational Support Personnel (ESP). Others may have 
been absent for various reasons and may wish to volunteer as part of a return to work, or as a way to 
reintroduce themselves to the school setting. 

Professional Liability 

Professionally, any member volunteering services must be aware of their ongoing obligations and account-
ability to the College to which they belong. Whether you are a member of the College of Teachers or the 
College of Early Childhood Educators, you could potentially be at risk if an allegation or complaint is made. 

Whether your volunteer activity involves contact with students, parents, colleagues, or other members of the 
school community, you are at risk of being the subject of complaints about your conduct. If you are working 
in a school in a paid capacity and are also volunteering in that school, the distinction between your paid 
and unpaid work may not be understood by other members of the school community: they may see you as 
teacher or DECE, no matter what your arrangement is with the school board. They will expect the same level of 
professionalism regardless of the duties you perform: it is likely that your College will also share the same view. 

It is important to remember that the Child and Family Services Act does not clearly distinguish between paid 
or volunteer activities when it comes to the duty to report suspicion of harm or risk of harm. This statutory 
duty rests generally with any person who performs professional or official duties with respect to children. 

Ongoing Risk and Limited Protection 

Members volunteering for school boards must recognize that they have ongoing risks when volunteering 
with limited protection. 

The protections and entitlements negotiated for ETFO members generally only apply to paid positions, 
not to volunteer activities. An exception to this may occur where the volunteer work arises through a 
medical accommodation process agreed upon between the union and the employer. 

The legal assistance provided by ETFO in College, CAS, civil, and criminal matters is generally limited to 
complaints arising in the course of performing employment duties. You are not covered for issues arising 
during volunteer activities outside your professional obligations. 

Entitlement to benefits under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act may also limit your activities. Your 
employer only pays premiums for employees based on payroll: injuries arising from volunteer activities 
may not provide entitlements under the Act. For example, if you are working in a part-time assignment 
and you volunteer for a skating event or a skiing trip during unpaid time, you may not be covered by 
WSIB. The injury could prevent you from working and limit your ability to secure a full time permanent 
contract or a long term occasional assignment. 

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