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At the Habitat for Humanity Affiliate Insurance Program, administered by Lockton Affinity, we continue to have claims reported where a volunteer did not sign a waiver of liability. This should be one of the very first things a volunteer does, and especially before they do any work for Habitat affiliates.
Importance of Volunteer Waivers
Waivers protect both the affiliate and volunteer. By signing the waiver, volunteers understand the activities in which they will be engaging in, as well as risks they may encounter. Right away, if the see a task that makes them uncomfortable, they can bring attention to it and be reassigned from the start. Despite how long a volunteer has been working for your affiliate, they need to sign a new waiver once a year.
In addition, waivers help the affiliate show proper due diligence and operations when defending claims. In two of our most recent claims, both had a lack of waivers. A lack of waivers makes defense and liability against claims much more difficult.
Program is administered by Lockton Affinity, LLC d/b/a Lockton Affinity Insurance Brokers, LLC in California. Coverage may not be available in all states and is subject to actual policy terms and conditions. In New York, coverage may be provided by an excess/surplus lines insurer which is not licensed by or subject to the supervision of the New York State Department of Financial Services. In New York, policy coverage forms and rates may not be subject to regulation by the New York State Department of Financial Services. Excess/surplus lines insurers do not generally participate in state guaranty funds and therefore insureds are not protected by such funds in the event of the insurer’s insolvency.