When we talk about volunteer safety, most people picture things like lifting heavy boxes or navigating a slippery walkway.

Physical safety is important but there's another side to volunteer wellbeing that doesn’t always get the same attention – psychological safety. It's just as vital, especially in volunteer-driven organizations.

Volunteers give their time freely. That generosity deserves a workplace – paid or unpaid – that cares about more than just hard hats and waivers. As leaders of volunteers, we have a responsibility to also think about the emotional and mental aspects of volunteer well-being.

A client I worked with a while ago had a very passionate group of volunteers, but one by one, people were dropping off the roster. No dramatic exits, just a slow trickle. We discovered one long-time volunteer was constantly criticizing newcomers, using passive-aggressive comments and generally creating an unwelcoming atmosphere. No one had reported it. No one wanted to rock the boat. But people didn’t feel safe, respected or valued. That’s what poor psychological safety looks like.

On the flip side, I once worked with a food bank where the leader started every shift with a short check-in. Nothing fancy, just a quick, “How’s everyone doing today?” and a reminder that it was OK to step away if they were feeling overwhelmed.

That practice........

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