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Honorary Work or Voluntary Work

Definition, Explanation	Tips, Checklist
Articles

Definition, Explanation

Honorary work is a mostly voluntary, public-welfare-aimed, unpaid, independent or collaborative activity or work in a voluntary organization. In Germany, currently around 23 millions of people are working honorary-based. Such a responsible honorary “office” can be obtained by election or being committed. It can be social work, work in associations, in church and charity institutions, communities and township initiatives or in development aid projects. In certain areas, if not enough volunteers are found, engagement by law is possible, as it is the case for lay judges in court and parliament election workers.

Personal motives for working in an honorary office are various: altruism, social contact and exchange, influencing society, as well as the pure fun of doing it.

Particularly the “young among the old” like honorary work in which they can continue to take responsibility after their working life, and can pass on their experience and competencies. Nevertheless, voluntary work is also suited for unemployed people, or during a sabbatical or on parental leave, as it mostly is a good training of social competencies. Some employers judge such reference positive and some even support voluntary work with volunteering programmes or as a part of so-called Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

Still, the use of honorary work for one’s career is debatable. While, formerly, honorary workers were estimated socially skilled above average, today employers often rather fear to have to share their employee’s potential with others.

There are numerous ways and forms of honorary activity. Many important processes of public life could not function efficiently without such unpaid work, or even would collapse. Some honorary workers are paid a considerations being expense compensations or loss of earnings compensations which are taxless up to 2,100 Euros a year.

There are honorary workers of

• Fire and emergency services
• Caritas, Diakonie, Malteser (social associations)
• Hospitals and retirement homes
• Elections
• Lay judges, and arbiters
• Honorary mayors, judges and other honorary clerk offices
• Probation officers, social work care and crisis hotlines
• Nature conservation
• Sports and cultural clubs and associations

What is criticized about honorary work is when the government gives away part of their society responsibilities on and wants to save some expenses using honorary workers. That makes these jobs be paid below appropriate considering their importance in society. Which in turn aggravates unemployment and wage dumping. In the same way as subsidized 1-Euro Jobs do, an increase of honorary work affects the regular job market negatively.

Immoderate increase, however, is not in the horizon, in Germany. Surveys indicate that people’s willingness to work for public welfare de-creases when the welfare state recedes. The helpfulness of citizens is decreasing. One reason for it is the increasing impression of voluntary workers to be used. They feel that their work is used to save money, as a substitute for professional providers.

Tips, Checklist

• Before taking on an honorary occupation, think where your strengths are, and in what areas you would like to play a part
• Skills to think of would be your organizational talent, your cleverness with your hands, professional knowledge in certain areas
• Do you like to deal with people, or do you tend to fear of contact, e.g. with disabled people?
• Can you, and are you willing to be regularly active in honorary work, during your free time?
• Turn to so-called “Freiwilligenagenturen” (volunteers agencies) near you. They are informed about organizations and associations that are looking for volunteers, and they can help you find precisely the institution that you are looking for. Also internet provides some information
• Inform yourself about your insurance protection in your work. It is not always that you are automatically insured via the organization
• Honorary work can also be to your benefit. Often, volunteers are trained, first. You will gain more abilities and competencies that you might be able to use in your profession. Also, such organizations can help building your networks

Articles

• Better world: Be nice to people; New Scientist, September 19, 2009

Last update: 09/28/2009