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Volunteer At-Will Termination Policy

Volunteers with Cooperative Extension serve at the discretion of the organization and are considered "at-will staff, albeit unpaid.   Each program has established a set of behavioral guidelines for acceptable behaviors from their volunteers, and Cooperative Extension and The University of Arizona also have established behavioral guidelines.  If a volunteer violates any of those guidelines, that volunteer can be terminated. 

The Arizona 4-H Policies Section 11.6 sets for the policy for suspending or terminating a 4-H volunteer.  In order to accommodate the 4-H policy, the following procedure has been established at the state office level:

County staff and the County Extension Director consult regarding the violation of policy.  If the violation is considered severe enough to warrant termination, the case (written documentation of the concerns) is referred to the Arizona 4-H Director.  After review (alone or with the assistance of an ad hoc committee), the Director determines if the volunteer should be suspended, terminated, or continued in active status (perhaps with limitations on authority or capacity).  If suspension or termination is appropriate, the Director will send a certified letter to the volunteer and notify the county.

A roster of suspended and terminated volunteers will be retained at the state level.  Volunteers who have been terminated in one county or program will not be approved for appointment in other counties or programs without a thorough review.

Other programs besides 4-H should report terminated volunteers to the state office, even if the decision to terminate does not require approval at from the state program director. ." This means that either the volunteer or Cooperative Extension may end the volunteer relationship at any time, with or without notice, and with or without cause.

Termination of a volunteer may occur for reasons including, but not limited to:

• Violations of Cooperative Extension policies or procedures.
• Inappropriate or unethical behavior that conflicts with the values or mission of Cooperative Extension.
• Actions that compromise the safety or well-being of program participants, staff, or other volunteers.
• Consistent failure to fulfill agreed-upon responsibilities.
• Lack of alignment with the needs or goals of the volunteer program.

Cooperative Extension values the contributions of its volunteers and strives to maintain a positive and respectful environment. If termination becomes necessary, efforts will be made to communicate the decision respectfully and provide appropriate documentation, if applicable.

This at-will policy ensures Cooperative Extension can uphold its mission, maintain program integrity, and foster a safe, productive environment for all participants.

Reminder:  Volunteer records should be retained per University of Arizona personnel standards.