Last updated by Kasey Murphy on 11/21/2023

This spring and summer are going to be an odd time for volunteer programs, and really the world. Most people are going to be vaccinated, and all people are going to be tired of living the pandemic life. 

While the vaccines are bringing back some aspects of normal life. Like fewer threats of getting sick and being able to hang out in social groups and gatherings. It has not quite been a solve-all. 

At the time, there are still some unknowns about the COVID-19 vaccine. Like, how long will it provide immunity to COVID-19? Will it make it unable for individuals to pass COVID to others who might not have the vaccine? 

Since there are still uncertainties, and not everyone has to get the vaccine, it is extremely imperative that volunteer programs at least consider continuing to monitor social distancing and PPE protocols when they can. The reason being that you are still in charge of providing a healthy environment for your volunteers. And since it is not certain what the safest route is, it is better to be safest than sorry if your program has to shut down again due to a covid outbreak.

If you are a volunteer manager who is planning on enforcing COVID protocols with vaccinated volunteers, you might face some issues. This is why we created these templates to help you.

This might be hard for some volunteers to hear or respect, so it is important that you make it extremely clear how your volunteer program will be operating with vaccinated volunteers. 

Top Tips For Enforcing COVID Protocols In Your Volunteer Program With Vaccinated Volunteers

1. Send out an email before ANYONE returns, outlining the protocols that will still be followed. 

2. Allow for some opportunities to be outdoors / less restrictive for volunteers who are against following protocol. 

3. Come up with a polite way to handle volunteers who are not following protocol. Ask them to volunteer from home, or to meet with other volunteers in a social setting outside of volunteering. We have a mock guide for you to follow! 

4. Have volunteers sign a contract or volunteer agreement form saying they will follow safety protocols, even if they are vaccinated. If they do not sign, they cannot sign up or attend volunteer events. 

5. Introduce a “Vaccinated Volunteers” Setting and Group for those who are vaccinated and do not want to volunteer and follow PPE or safety protocols. (If you still need them to volunteer, and they won’t follow protocols, this will minimize the effect.) 

6. Constantly keep updating and reminding volunteers of CDC recommendations, so they know you are just following the government guidelines. 

7. Place reminders of rules on every event sign-up, and every email sent out about volunteering. 

Ideas For What To Do In Your Volunteer Program To Follow COVID-19 Precautions 

• Place hand sanitizer everywhere you can. 

• Provide masks and gloves for crowded, indoor activities.

• Create a maximum amount of volunteers allowed to sign up for an event to avoid crowding. 

• If a meeting can be in an email - do that! 

• Try to do outdoor activities where social distancing is enforced. 

• Set up “work stations” that are equally spaced out, that way volunteers won’t group together. 

It’s not ideal, but it is a lot more relaxed than before volunteers had the COVID vaccine. Download our guide to view mock emails, mock agreement forms, and examples of what to say to volunteers who might not want to follow protocols.