'Let go' as a Volunteer

Associate
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26 Nov 2020
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Hi folks, really wasnt sure where to look for help with this sort of thing in general, not sure if anyone is able to prod me in the right direction.

I have two nieces who have both been let go from the same animal care and training establishment which they were volunteering at, which they had been volunteering at for most of this year. They were both told via messenger they would not need to return and without divulging the contents of the message, there was a subtle implication in the message from the employer/establishment that one or both of the girls in their opinion could have been responsible for the death of an animal and they 'cant be having that', the message was laced with guilt and did everything but directly accuse the girl(s) of causing the death. Both girls are obviously upset as they loved working at this place and love the animals, and have had no further explanation (they dont even know if the animal is dead).

Apart from being frustrated at how this is being handled, my main question is, yes they were volunteers so I appreciate a lot of their rights go out the window, as far as I can make out the establishment isnt governed by a charity ( I may be wrong though), if they continue to receive no further correspondence (and its the manager apparently who is messaging them) is there anything they can do? My guess is that theyd like to continue volunteering at another establishment however with this semi accusation hanging over them I feel they deserve to know exactly why theyve been let go and if it is their fault they should have some proper explanation, not a half a**ed accusation. I feel this establishment is trying to manipulate through implied guilt, I also feel this is why both girls were let go as they live in the same household and it ties everything up nicely for them.

Thanks for any ideas.
Best regards
MJ
 
Soldato
Joined
27 Apr 2007
Posts
3,063
Thanks for the reply Brendy, sorry can I ask what you mean by keeping the request to text?
Apologies, yea that doesn't read well, I mean that you have written records of the conversation rather than phone calls/in person etc. Usually when you being this to peoples attention they are more truthful.
 
Associate
OP
Joined
26 Nov 2020
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3
Thanks Brendy, yes I guess sending a formal email pointing out concerns is a start, at least it opens up a dialogue which isnt in a chat window.
 
Soldato
Joined
6 Dec 2005
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5,183
Location
Cambridge, UK.
It seems a bit odd they have both been let go. Were they looking after the same animals? It seems odd that both being volunteers and assumingly still new to the role would be left together to work with animals without supervision. What type of animals were they?

I would be looking to find what evidence they have if possible via email. Like you say it might have negative issues when seeking similar employment in the future.
 
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