Overview - Policies, Procedures & Code of Conduct

Events Edmonton is a volunteer driven non-profit community organization that produces a variety of festivals and events.

The purpose of this handbook for Policies, Procedures and Code of Conduct is to provide a solid understanding of Events Edmonton’s volunteer program and a clear description of volunteers and Events Edmonton’s expectations, rights and responsibilities.

Volunteer Handbook

Events Edmonton Vision Statement

We enrich life in Alberta’s Capital Region through a diversity of high quality events and services that entertain and engage residents and visitors alike.

Definition of Terms

Area
The area is the location to which a volunteer is assigned to. Such areas are: the Volunteer Tent, the Information Booth etc.

Events Edmonton Employee
An Events Edmonton employee is paid by Events Edmonton either on contract, part-time or full-time basis.

Festivals / Events
Refers to all festivals and events produced by Events Edmonton. For simplicity it is referred to as festival throughout this manual.

Special Event
A special event is a scheduled program or activity(ies) which take(s) part within an Events Edmonton festival.

Volunteer
A volunteer is any individual who, without compensation or the expectation of compensation, other than reimbursement of expenses occurred on behalf of Events Edmonton, contributes time and service at the direction of and on behalf of Events Edmonton. A volunteer must be officially accepted and assigned by the Volunteer Management before providing volunteer services. Volunteers are not considered employees of Events Edmonton.

Volunteer Coordinator
The Volunteer Coordinator is the assistant of the Volunteer Manager. He/she is the overall assistant manager of all Events Edmonton volunteers, including supervisors, assistant supervisors, and volunteers of partnering service groups. The Volunteer Coordinator reports to the Volunteer Manager.

Volunteer Manager
The Volunteer Manager is the overall manager of all Events Edmonton volunteers, including volunteer coordinator(s), supervisors and assistant supervisors and including all volunteers of partnering service groups. The volunteer manager is an employee of Events Edmonton. The Volunteer Manager is responsible for the overall volunteer program, initiates and maintains community connections, and liaises with local charities and non-profit organizations for a broader volunteer involvement. For simplicity the Volunteer Manager and staff working within or for the volunteer program are referred to as the Volunteer Management (Team).

Volunteer Supervisor
The Volunteer Supervisor is the direct supervisor of volunteers within a particular area. The Volunteer Supervisor can be either a volunteer, or Events Edmonton staff, and is the immediate contact person during the festival. If the Volunteer Supervisor is a volunteer, he/she reports to the Volunteer Manager, the Volunteer Coordinator(s), or the Event Manager of the respective area.

Volunteer Team
Volunteer Team refers to the collection of volunteers working at a special event or area within the festival.

Volunteer Involvement Process

Everyone wishing to participate in Events Edmonton’s volunteer program must fill out the online volunteer application form and follow the recruitment process. Only upon successful completion of the volunteer recruitment process will a person become a volunteer for Events Edmonton. The volunteer recruitment process may include some or all of the following:

Application
Interview
Reference Checks
Police Check
Placement
Orientation & Training
Evaluation

Recruitment:
Events Edmonton is an equal opportunity provider and welcomes people from all backgrounds, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion or nationality.

Interviewing
All potential volunteers are interviewed by the volunteer management team either in person or over the phone. The interview is an opportunity for the volunteer to learn about Events Edmonton, about the festival, and about available volunteer positions. It is also an opportunity for volunteer management to get to know the applicant a little and to find a suitable position for him/her. Volunteer placement is left to the discretion of volunteer management. No volunteer will be placed in a position for which he/she is not fully qualified or for which the organization cannot provide adequate training.

Minors

Events Edmonton requires volunteers to be of minimum age of 15 years in order to volunteer without a parent or guardian.
Volunteers ages 15-17 will provide the signed consent of their parent or guardian to be accepted into the volunteer program.
Volunteers ages 12- 14 can volunteer for Events Edmonton together with a parent or guardian. The adult volunteer takes on sole responsibility for the actions and behavior of the youth volunteer.
Placement of all youth volunteers is at the discretion of the Volunteer Manager

Download a Minor Consent Form here

Screening
Police security checks may be performed for the following volunteers:

volunteers handling money or valuable product
volunteers with access to sensitive information/materials
volunteers coming into contact with children or vulnerable persons (seniors, disabled)

Events Edmonton will cover the cost of police security checks.

Placement
All placement decisions will be made by Volunteer Management. Returning volunteers will have first choice for time and placement prior of the recruitment of new volunteers.

Orientation & Training
Orientations are mandatory unless otherwise stated by Volunteer Management. If the volunteer is unavailable to attend the orientation, he/she is responsible to obtain and to read through all training and information material, and to acquire the necessary knowledge pertaining to the festival and the area(s) he/she will be working in.

Evaluation
Volunteers will be evaluated on their performance by their direct supervisor, and/or Volunteer Management. References or confirmation of volunteer hours will be provided upon request.

Once a volunteer becomes a member of the volunteer program, he/she adheres to and commits to the policies and code of conduct as outlined below.

Volunteer Rights:

To be identified and recognized as a volunteer
To be treated with respect and dignity
To be properly informed about the organization, its policies, programs and procedures
The receive adequate training to feel comfortable with the assigned tasks and to understand what is expected
The be recognized for her/his contribution to Events Edmonton and its festivals

Volunteer Benefits
In addition to festival-specific benefits, volunteers enjoy:

Meeting new friends
Supporting the community
Networking
Learning new skills

Volunteer Responsibilities
Volunteers are often the first contact that festival visitors encounter. Creating a first good impression is essential for attendeesâ€™ overall experience at the festival.

Volunteers will act in a respectful, friendly and caring manner. Volunteers will not act in any way that will embarrass the festival, may be considered unethical or put festival goers and/or any stakeholder at risk.

Volunteers will not discriminate anyone based on any category covered under the Human Rights Act. This will be described in more detail under CODE OF CONDUCT.

In addition, volunteers will:

Adhere to the CODE OF CONDUCT
Follow all instructions as laid out in the volunteer orientation handbook, and all specific area instructions for the festival, and/or as provided verbally by the volunteer management team
Arrive on time and commit to the agreed upon shifts
Make every effort to fulfill duties and responsibilities
Inform volunteer management well in advance if unable to work a shift
Attend all mandatory orientations
Read through the provided information material and acquire all information and knowledge necessary to fulfill duties with confidence and professionalism
Contact volunteer management with any concerns, problems, or questions immediately as they occur, to ensure that the issue can be dealt with in a timely manner
As a representative of the organization, dress appropriately to present a good image to the public and as required for the respective area
Refrain from use of cell phones while on shift

Code of Conduct

Harassment Policy
Events Edmonton has a zero tolerance policy for harassment, humiliation or any kind of misconduct or violation of the Human Rights Act, be it physical, verbal or by innuendo.

Sexual harassment is any unwanted physical or verbal or non-verbal gesture or contact of a sexual nature.

Note: Anyone younger than 18 years of age is not considered able to provide informed consent.

All staff and volunteers are expected to treat others, including patrons, performers and guests with dignity and respect and may not discriminate anyone on the grounds of race, skin colour, gender, place of origin, age, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, mental or physical disability or any other category covered under the Human Rights Act.

Volunteers and staff shall make every effort to present Events Edmonton and its festivals to the public in a positive way and shall not do anything to intentionally embarrass the festival.

Alcohol, Smoking and Drug Policy

Volunteers shall not consume alcohol, smoke, or vape while on their shift
Volunteers shall not be under the influence of alcohol or any drug, including medication, that could impede their performance while on shift
Volunteers shall not consume alcohol at any time while wearing a festival shirt or any other item that identifies him/her as a volunteer of the festival.
Volunteers shall not use any illegal substances on festival site(s), regardless whether on shift or not

Violation of any of the above rules of the Alcohol, Smoking and Drug Policy may result in immediate dismissal. Dismissal may be temporary, for the remainder of the festival, or for all future Events Edmonton festivals.

Other

Media & Social Media

Volunteers will not make any public statement or give interviews to the media unless specifically authorized by and only after prior consultation with the Events Edmonton Management team.
Use of all forms of social media including blogs are subject to the same policies as outlined in Code of Conduct regarding representing Events Edmonton and its festivals.

Dress Code

Volunteers are representing Events Edmonton and will dress accordingly, presenting a professional image to the public.
Where applicable, volunteers are required business attire during their shift.
If a festival t-shirt or other attire is provided, volunteers must wear it throughout their shift, unless otherwise instructed.

Confidentiality
Volunteers are responsible to maintain confidentiality of any information obtained while being a volunteer of the organization; whether the information is about the overall business of the organization, its staff and board members, volunteers, patrons, or any other privileged information they are exposed to.

Conflict of Interest
Volunteers must disclose to the organization any real, potential or apparent conflict of interest as soon as they become aware of it. Conflict of interest may be competing professional or personal obligations, or personal or financial interests that are in direct conflict with their volunteer involvement with the organization. The Volunteer Manager will determine if a removal of the volunteer from the volunteer program will be required.

Safety and Security

Events Edmonton is committed to provide a safe and healthy work place for all staff, volunteers, contractors, stakeholders and the public. As far as predictable, Events Edmonton, in recognition of its responsibilities and obligations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, will ensure the health and safety of the work site and work environment.

Each Events Edmonton festival will have its own Incident and Emergency Procedures. Copies of these will be available at key locations of each festival and a short version of it will be discussed in the Volunteer Orientation Guide and verbally during orientations.

It is the volunteer’s responsibility to acquire all necessary information regarding their shift, including the Emergency Procedures.

In case of an emergency, volunteers are required to remain calm and to follow instructions provided by the management team and / or emergency crews. Volunteers will be professional and assist the public and the management team as needed.

During their shift volunteers can play their part in keeping the festival safe:

Report unsafe conditions or hazards
Use safe work procedures as required
Report unsafe acts
Comply with rules and regulations
Know and follow emergency procedures

Disciplinary Procedures

In certain instances the volunteer management team may take disciplinary action, if a volunteer violates rules and regulations as described in this manual and/or disregards any verbal or written instructions in the volunteer orientation manuals and/or instructions provided for specific areas or any other volunteer agreed upon assignments.

These may include but are not limited to:

Failure to follow Policies and Code of Conduct
Failure to follow instructions by management team
Late arrival or no-show for shift without prior notification to volunteer management team
Rude or unruly behavior
Theft and any other kind of illegal action

Disciplinary procedures may be:

Verbal warning
Switching volunteer to a different volunteer area
Removal of the volunteer either from the area and / or for the day
Removal of the volunteer from the volunteer program
Immediate dismissal

Disciplinary procedures will be taken by the volunteer manager and/or by the event management team.

If a volunteer has a concern or conflict or witnesses a situation of concern or conflict, he/she shall notify the volunteer management team. If a conflict arises with the volunteer management team, he/she shall contact the immediate supervisor or the General Manager respectively.