The number of dedicated volunteers in Germany is impressive. According to the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Community, almost 40 percent of citizens over the age of 14 are volunteers, that is around 30 million people. But whether in the volunteer fire brigade or in youth work, whether as a senior citizen helper or childcare worker – something can always happen. It is correspondingly important to protect the committed volunteers so that the damage is adequately insured should the worst come to the worst.
Be sure to clarify: Protection in an emergency?
The tips of the experts: Anyone who volunteers should therefore inquire from the outset whether statutory accident insurance may already exist with the association for which they work. For example, active people who are involved in sports clubs, the fire brigade or charitable organizations are covered by statutory accident insurance under certain conditions – however, in many cases the protection is not sufficient to cover the financial consequences of a serious accident. In addition, protection under the statutory accident insurance during an assignment is only guaranteed if the person concerned works for the respective agency or facility free of charge and voluntarily.
Best case: Automatic co-insurance for volunteers
The good news is that many of the volunteers are automatically insured through the organization they work for. This applies specifically to all volunteers who are involved in public and church institutions, work unpaid in education and in legally regulated voluntary services or are active in rescue companies, in the areas of civil protection and welfare work. For example, all those who work for Caritas, the Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund, the voluntary fire brigade or the German Red Cross have statutory accident insurance. Also insured are volunteers at school, for example parents’ representatives, and politically committed people on municipal and city councils or in the church. Volunteers in institutions that promote agriculture, such as fishing associations and in clubs or associations that work for the public good on behalf of or with the consent of municipalities, are also covered by statutory accident insurance. The more precise regulations can be found in Section 2 of the Social Code Book VII, among others.
Exceptions and hurdles in securing voluntary work
However, there are also numerous cases in which there is no automatic insurance and where it is all the more elementary that the volunteers deal with it themselves. This applies, for example, to volunteers who are involved in a sports, environmental or animal protection association or a political party.
And there is one more detail that needs to be taken into account: even volunteers in areas that are generally covered by statutory accident insurance are only covered accordingly as long as they are committed to the general public during their voluntary work. If an accident occurs as part of an activity that only benefits the association itself or the respective organization and not the general public, there is no statutory accident protection. Specifically, this concerns, for example, managerial, planning or organizational activities for the club or organization, such as those carried out by a club board, treasurer, secretary or referee.
When in doubt: take precautions!
Provision can be made for such cases through the voluntary conclusion of a statutory accident insurance by the association or organization, as is possible with the administrative professional association (VBG) or the professional association for health service and welfare care (BGW).
Clubs, associations or other organizations that want to be sure that their honorary and voluntary members are also comprehensively insured in the event of an accident while working for the club can also take out private group accident insurance, which takes effect in case of doubt. And the private insurance policies of those who are active, which they may have taken out to cover the financial consequences of illness, disability or disability, usually pay – even if the accident happened while they were doing voluntary work.
Information about protection in voluntary work
Insurance is a complex field. But there is well prepared information, both for clubs and organizations as well as for the volunteers themselves:
- A comprehensive brochure The Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (BMAS), for example, offers information on statutory accident protection for volunteers under the title “For your safety. Accident insurance in voluntary commitment”. This includes, among other things, a worthwhile checklist for volunteers on the subject of accident protection as well as a list of addresses that makes it clear which federal states have private collective agreements and/or additional inclusions in the statutes of the respective accident insurance fund.
- Further information on the topic can be found here and on this one Homepage.
- Anyone involved in healthcare or welfare can get information on the website of the BGW.
- This offers more help citizen phone of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs. You can call 030 22 19 11 002 for questions about voluntary work and statutory accident protection.
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