Quaker Life supports Quaker communities in best practices when engaging employees and volunteers. We give advice and guidance and provide access to relevant sources of information.
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Employing meetings and wardens are reminded that there are laws detailing the formal rights and responsibilities of both employers and employees...
- Quaker faith & practice 13.36
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An integral part of Quaker life, wardens are entrusted with paying attention to all those details that make for conditions conducive to worship and welcome. Many Quaker meetings appoint wardens, resident Friends, caretakers, and managers on a paid or voluntary basis to manage or work on meeting house premises and grounds.
We arrange peer support and workshops on wardenship and being employed in a Quaker setting but can not provide employees support and advice on specific issues. The advice and guidance in the following resources are to help Quaker meetings be the best employers that they can be.
Quaker Life does not offer legal advice on employment issues. The employers' resource meets or exceeds the legal requirement and sometimes makes a judgement about Quaker best practice. Where issues are of a technical nature, area meeting trustees may need to seek help from a legal professional.
BYM has been asked whether the recommendations about employee pay and benefits should be in line with what is offered to BYM staff. This has been considered and we don't think it would be fair or practical to ask AMs to replicate BYM's offer for their employees. However, if AMs would like to know about BYM's offer to its staff we will make it available on request. Please contact supportmeetings@quaker.org.uk.
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Work which is rightly the responsibility of office holders and members of the meeting should not be left to wardens, and wardens should not be appointed to those offices which could give rise to a conflict of interest: clerk, assistant clerk, treasurer or managing trustee...
- Quaker faith and practice 13.37
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Quaker faith & practice 13.33–13.40 concerns wardens, resident Friends and caretakers, who may be employees of the meeting. The latest (fifth) edition of Quaker faith & practice can be read on its dedicated site.
You can use this template to make a handbook for your local meeting. Simply edit and add your own instructions, records and information. By keeping everything in one place you can make life easier for those who help look after meeting houses, especially those new to the task.
Download the template for a meeting house handbook (Word).
Employment matters require confidentiality between the employer and the employee. It is not appropriate for meetings to discuss matters relating to employment or specifically to employees in local or area business meetings. These matters are the responsibilities of trustees and decisions should be made at that level. Further information can be found in Quaker Life's Confidentiality leaflet.
The employers' resource provides information for Quaker employers and employees, including key obligations, frequently asked questions and downloadable template documents. Brackets give the year each document has been most recently updated.
BYM has been asked whether the recommendations about employment pay and benefits should be the same as BYM staff receive. This has been considered and we don't think it would be fair or practical to ask AMs to try to replicate what BYM offers its employees. However, if AMs want to know about BYM's offer to staff we will make it available on request.
Click on the links below for a sample job advert template with recruitment advice and a role description. The contract for meetings to adapt and use when employing a paid children's worker is the written statement of terms and conditions (Contract) of employment above. These are guides so please edit and add your information.
Quaker Life offers telephone support, advice and information to Quaker employers. Please see the 'contact us' section below for details.
Wardens, resident Friends, caretakers, volunteers, employers and all who are concerned with wardenship are invited to join an email group that allows members to share ideas and information. To join the conversation to give and receive support please subscribe to the wardenship e-group.
Quaker Life holds regular online discussion sessions. They are for wardens and other Quaker workers, and Friends such as area meeting trustees and members of premises committees who look after Quaker employment or buildings. Notes have been taken each time and are circulated in the wardenship and property advice e-groups.
Woodbrooke Quaker Study Centre provides this introduction to working in a Quaker organisation in partnership with Britain Yearly Meeting. For more information, visit www.woodbrooke.org.uk, email enquiries@woodbrooke.org.uk or phone 0121 472 5171.
supportmeetings@quaker.org.uk
020 7663 1007
