LRD guides and handbook May 2018

Law at Work 2018

Chapter 7

Volunteers 




[ch 7: page 209]

Genuine volunteers are not protected from discrimination at work (X v Mid Sussex Citizens Advice Bureau [2012] UKSC 59). This is because there is no binding contract personally to do work. 


Some volunteers may have separate protection under other parts of the EA 10 as
recipients of vocational training or work experience (see section 56(6), EA 10); or service users (EA 10, Part 3). 


Only genuine volunteers are excluded. Anyone working for nothing who is really a “worker” will qualify for protection under the EA 10 (see Chapter 2: volunteers).