Volunteering issue to do with staff? (Not work experience volunteering this time)

Former Member

so basically I volunteer at a animal place. I’m getting fed up with my head of department as he keeps making these annoying jokes and teases me about me going bowling. At end up lunch he also tried to throw a stone at a colleague. This has happened once before and he blamed someone else as well and then when the colleague came out he blamed it on me. Saying I did it when I didn’t. I said I didn’t do it and it was him. I then asked to my head of department why he said and did that. He didn’t answer and then it was end of lunch so we went to finish our jobs. 

Thing is is I don’t know what to do? Because I don’t feel like I could talk to him about it but at the same time isn’t this incident unprofessional?


im not in the mood for any of this as it reminds me of other incidents (this is different to my work experience place) but this just adds and makes me fed up. 

Former Member

Hey there @Past User

This sounds really frustrating. You're absolutely right that his behaviour is unprofessional, and you would be well within your rights to report him to his superior for assaulting a colleague. I'm sure he already knows that his behaviour isn't acceptable. 

I'm sorry you're dealing with this, especially after having a similar experience elsewhere. 

Keep writing here if you decide to take action

Former Member

chubbydumpling said:

Hey there @Past User

This sounds really frustrating. You're absolutely right that his behaviour is unprofessional, and you would be well within your rights to report him to his superior for assaulting a colleague. I'm sure he already knows that his behaviour isn't acceptable. 

I'm sorry you're dealing with this, especially after having a similar experience elsewhere. 

Keep writing here if you decide to take action

Thanks and when you say superior I assume you mean the manager of the animal place. Well that’s awkward as last time I asked my HOD who the manager is he said the one with the cap 🧢 however we don’t have name badges and more then one of the staff members wears a cap 🧢. I know the name but there’s more then one staff member with same name. 
I don’t know who else to tell and it’s kind of awkard as I’m pretty sure the manager also used to be a police officer.  Also when  i do tell someone how does it work with this stuff? All I knew was it’s against code of conduct which I also had to sign when I became a volunteer) 

Ps at the moment it’s just at lunch time. So where visitors don’t end up. However we do have free roaming birds that get into the yard, although birds can fly.
 Wouldn’t it also be dangerous for them as couldn’t stones also hurt birds if they don’t fly away in time.? I also weird thing is I wonder if it happened more often as the colleague he aimed at just walked away without saying anything went off to do finish is work early

Former Member

Hi @Past User

I think speaking to the manager or your Head of Department is a good way to go. Making sure that the complaint is registered somewhere, in writing usually, is for the best. At the very least, whoever you speak to will have an informal chat with this guy and remind him of the code of conduct. If you'd like to remain anonymous, I'm pretty sure they'll keep your name out of it if you ask.

I totally agree that his behaviour is dangerous for the local wildlife - I'm sure your colleagues would agree too. Maybe everyone else is worried about antagonising him further, and that's why they put up with it? Are you close with any of the other volunteers? Perhaps, if you're comfortable, you could ask them if he's done this before and how they feel about it?

I hope you're doing okay

Former Member

chubbydumpling said:

Hi @Past User

I think speaking to the manager or your Head of Department is a good way to go. Making sure that the complaint is registered somewhere, in writing usually, is for the best. At the very least, whoever you speak to will have an informal chat with this guy and remind him of the code of conduct. If you'd like to remain anonymous, I'm pretty sure they'll keep your name out of it if you ask.

I totally agree that his behaviour is dangerous for the local wildlife - I'm sure your colleagues would agree too. Maybe everyone else is worried about antagonising him further, and that's why they put up with it? Are you close with any of the other volunteers? Perhaps, if you're comfortable, you could ask them if he's done this before and how they feel about it?

I hope you're doing okay

Thanks unfortuantly he was on holiday this week so I couldn’t really mention it. 
But the thing is I don’t know who the manager is as we all have similar tops and no name badges. the only person other people are staff in offices and the park operations manager (<is that another name for manager or is 

Former Member

Hey @Past User

It must be really confusing not having a clear hierarchy. In that case, definitely mention it to the park operations manager (I assume they oversee the day-to-day running of the park and likely have contact with employee supervisors) since this kind of behaviour can also cause damage to the park and wildlife. 

I'm sorry if this isn't much help haha

JustV

This has kind of already been said, but just to say in most workplaces you can register complaints with anyone superior to that person. Usually the way to go is to talk to their manager, but since it's not clear who that is where you're volunteering, anyone superior (even if they're higher up (e.g. a director), or perhaps part of another team) should know who to pass the message on to and take care of it.

Would say it's always best to say something than not say it if you're concerned. Once you've raised the issue, they can do whatever they feel is right with that information.

Former Member

Mike said:

This has kind of already been said, but just to say in most workplaces you can register complaints with anyone superior to that person. Usually the way to go is to talk to their manager, but since it's not clear who that is where you're volunteering, anyone superior (even if they're higher up (e.g. a director), or perhaps part of another team) should know who to pass the message on to and take care of it.

Would say it's always best to say something than not say it if you're concerned. Once you've raised the issue, they can do whatever they feel is right with that information.

Thanks I will do, its weird how there’s no name badges or role.  (I suppose staff don’t due to safety reasons like it could easily fall off etc... It would be more helpful: if there was because it would be awkard if a visitor asked to speak to the manager. This has never happened but it could 

Former Member

Well this is awkard the same thing happend again during lunch. But the manager ended up joining in this time. So I assume it was a joke but thing is my head of department keeps blaming me. I know he’s only joking but it gets annoying especially because of other incidents I’m dealing with outside of volunteering. The manager (who didn’t say anything)  was there as mentioned earlier so I don’t know who to report it. The manager is the highest person I know of the park as we rarely see the CEO. 

😞 why is there always something annoying with my day.

Former Member

The thing is seems to be happening at least once a week it happend just before I went away. Because of I was away I don’t know if it’s happend this week just gone. However I’m also kind of worried about something. The Friday before I went away. He mentioned he had a charge on his record. This totally supriessed me and a work experience student  asked what it was for. He said it was for arson when he was a juvenile with his friends and spent time in juvenile. 

Im litreally confused  I thought If you have a record you can’t work around children (and all staff and used to be volunteers as well had to have a dbs check) and the main visitors of park are children). This most likely explains why he never shows volunteers or students the fire evacuation plane because it most likely reminds him of when he got that charged.  However I’m afraid that even though he was not adult and is now I’m just afraid he could decide to do it to the animal  park or building nearby putting everyone including the animals at risk.   Could his charge also explain why he does what he does at lunch sometimes? 
I’m sort of nervous to go back their, I do like it but after finding that out I mostly just blanked him and weirdly that student did as well.