Volunteering has rules. Not many, but they are important. And knowing them protects everyone: the volunteer, the organization, and, especially, the people who benefit from the program. This post is intended for two audiences: volunteers who want to know exactly what is expected of them and what their rights are, and program managers who need to set clear boundaries and create safe and ethical volunteering environments. Legal Restrictions on Volunteers You Cannot Work Without Prior Consent Volunteering requires a prior and explicit agreement between the volunteer and the organization. No one may be assigned to volunteer tasks without their knowledge and consent. This seems obvious, but in poorly designed corporate programs, volunteering is sometimes presented as “mandatory” or assigned to people without consulting them. That is illegal. Breach of Confidentiality Volunteers frequently have access to sensitive information about beneficiaries: personal circumstances, health data, family issues, and financial information. Disclosing this information outside the context of the program is prohibited by the Organic Law on Data Protection (LOPDGDD) and may constitute a serious violation. In corporate volunteering involving skills-based work (for example, strategic consulting for an NGO), the volunteer may also have access to confidential information from the host organization. The duty of confidentiality applies equally in these cases. Discriminatory Conduct Volunteers may not discriminate against beneficiaries on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, disability, age, or any other characteristic. Discrimination in volunteer work can have civil consequences and, in serious cases, criminal consequences. Fraud or Breach of Trust Misappropriating the organization’s resources, falsifying hours or activities, deceiving beneficiaries, or using volunteer work to gain access to information for personal gain—all of these constitute fraud and can have serious legal consequences. Operational Limits Volunteer work cannot replace paid employment This is one of the most important—and most frequently violated—limits. A volunteer cannot perform, on a stable, continuous, and systematic basis, tasks that should be carried out by a paid employee. If the organization structurally depends on volunteers for its basic operations, there is an ethical—and possibly legal—problem. In corporate volunteering, this limitation is relevant when a company partnering with an NGO attempts to outsource labor through volunteer programs. This is not acceptable. No one can be forced to work Voluntariness is the very essence of volunteering. If a person is pressured to participate, if there are negative consequences for not doing so, or if an environment is created where refusal is practically impossible, the activity is no longer volunteering: it is forced labor in disguise. Agreed-Upon Hour Limits The volunteer commits to a certain number of hours in the volunteer agreement. The organization cannot require more hours than those agreed upon. If the program’s needs increase, the agreement is renegotiated, but it is not unilaterally imposed. Volunteer Responsibilities Fulfilling Agreements and Commitments The fact that volunteering is voluntary does not imply irresponsibility in carrying out the work. When a volunteer commits to being available, leading a project, or conducting a training session, there are people who depend on that commitment. Failing to fulfill it without prior notice has real consequences for the beneficiaries and for the organization. Punctuality and Attendance In activities where beneficiaries are waiting for the volunteer (mentoring sessions, tutoring, support), punctuality is not optional. A volunteer who is consistently late or who cancels without prior notice is harming people in vulnerable situations, which is ethically unacceptable. Respect for the Organization’s Values and Standards Volunteers enter the environment of another organization and must respect its rules, culture, and values. This includes how they interact with beneficiaries (with empathy, without paternalism), protocols for responding to risky situations, and internal communication guidelines. Inappropriate Behavior Harassment or Discrimination Against Beneficiaries Any form of harassment—sexual, psychological, or abuse of power—toward program beneficiaries is strictly prohibited and may constitute a crime. Well-designed volunteer programs have clear protocols for detecting and managing these cases, and volunteers must be familiar with them. Data Protection Violations Photographing beneficiaries without consent, sharing personal data on social media, or using information accessed during volunteer work for personal purposes are actions that violate the GDPR and the LOPDGDD, with penalties that can be very significant. Dishonest Conduct Lying about the number of hours worked, falsifying activities to obtain employment benefits (such as additional da