❖ Heads up! This article is intended for site managers. Only site managers can manage qualifications and waivers for the site. If you're an agency manager looking for information about qualifications and waivers, click here.
Waivers are a great way to ensure volunteers meet qualification requirements for the Needs they're responding to. With waivers, you can decide if you want them to be signed by adults and minors, adults only, or minors only—so which do you choose and when? Here we cover:
ⓘ So you know: This article covers eSign waiver qualifications. This does not apply to clickwrap waivers. Clickwrap waivers do not have an adult only or minor only option.
Which waiver type is best?
The Adults and Minors waiver options is the best option when you know you'll have both adult volunteers, and minor volunteers, responding to agency Needs on your site. You can even attach a waiver qualification to a Need that's required to answer before they can respond to it! For more information about qualifications, click here.
- The Adult and Minor waiver option is set up so that:
- Volunteers are required to enter their birthdate before signing the waiver
- Depending on the birthdate they enter, they're directed to their specific waiver type
- For example, if a minor—at least 13 years of age—enters their birthday, the system directs them to the Minor waiver you uploaded for them to sign.
- If an adult—18 years or older—enters their birthday, the system directs them to the Adult waiver you uploaded for them to sign.
ⓘ So you know:
- When an adult signs the waiver, they're done with the waiver portion for that qualification.
- Depending on your settings, you may have to manually approve their qualification submission so they can start responding to Needs.
- If your site features several agencies, you may want to consider setting up waiver qualifications to auto approve when submitted.
- When a minor signs the waiver, they're prompted to share the name and email for a parent or guardian to review and sign so that their waiver submission may be approved.
- This protects the organization and minor in case of liability reasons.
- Click here to see an example of how this works from the volunteer perspective.
What about the other two waiver types?
You may have noticed you also have the option to select either Adult Only or Minor Only waiver types. While these options are available, we still highly recommend using the Adults and Minors option if you know or think you may have minors volunteering for your agencies' Needs. Why? You might run into some issues when volunteers go to sign the waivers.
- Let's say you assign the Adult Only waiver type and attach it to a qualification.
- If the Need is open to all volunteers—adults and minors—then when a minor tries to respond to the Need and sign the waiver, they won't be able to proceed.
- On the other hand, if you have assigned the Minor Only waiver, then if an adult inputs their birthdate, the system automatically bypasses that waiver qualification requirement since it's only geared toward minors.
How do I know which type to choose?
While we've already established which waiver type is the best for covering all bases, there are still some scenarios when you may decide to pick one of the other waiver types!
- Does your organization or an agency h a youth-focused summer camp where volunteers between the ages of 13 and 17 are welcome and encouraged to participate?
- This may be a scenario when the Minor Only waiver type applies!
- Does your organization or an agency have Needs that may involve work where sensitive subjects may arise?
- Depending on the situation, this scenario may require that all volunteers be 18 years of age or older to participate.
- This would be a scenario when the Adult Only waiver type applies!
