Do you think volunteers for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics should be paid?

Does not the word 'volunteer' mean anything?

Does not the word "work" mean anything? The Tokyo Olympics is collecting millions of dollars in advertising revenue but cannot pay the people who are making the events occur? The Olympics are not a charity.

There should certainly be some form of compensation, plus a written agreement, to ensure the volunteer worker remains health and isn't taken advantage of.

It depends on the job, doesn't it. I love the idea of civic pride being a motivator for people to help out, but some jobs are difficult enough, unpleasant enough, or require skills so specialized that I don't know if they will get done correctly without flashing some yen.

It's Typo Central with me today, tsk.

The Rising Wasabi says it best - whatever the Govt. decides to pay these volunteers, at least there'll be equal pay for fe/males.

https://www.therisingwasabi.com/tokyo-2020-olympic-female-volunteers-to-receive-nations-first-equal-pay/

If they are paid, they are not 'volunteer workers'. Of course they should all be paid but they should not called volunteers.

Does the writer not know what 'volunteer' means?

If they get paid then they aren't volunteering.

Volunteers do not get paid. That is what volunteer means.

However, I do understand the point of the question. There will be somewhere around 10,000 volunteers for both the Paralympic and Olympic games. These volunteers will be doing jobs like, translating, giving directions, crowd management and serving refreshments and foods. All these jobs should be paid. This is just another way of cutting costs for the Olympics. This is Japan! Where people are used to working for free.

I always heard that if you volunteer for the Olympic games you get a free seat to the sport event of your choosing (obviously not the ceremonies or even good seats). If this is not the case then I revoke my earlier statement of being excited to volunteer.

Any qualified positions should be paid.

Also your transport should be paid and as said above,

a written agreement, to ensure the volunteer worker remains health and isn't taken advantage of

@zurcronium

the olympics cost A LOT of money to host. Many cities go into long term debt after hosting the Olympics.

You'll probably be the same person who will complain that your taxes will be paying for the olympic failure in 3 years!

They are expecting volunteers to commit to long hours of work. I think at least some meals and/or transportation should be provided/the cost covered. Yes, volunteers donate their time, skills, and work, but I think it is a bit too much (given the circumstances in Japan) to expect them to work so many days and hours and still have to pay for their meals and transport.

The issue is with the nuance of the English word "volunteer" when used in Japanese. ボランティア has the idea of doing something now for free or almost free, but getting benefits in some form later on. Kind of investing some time. In English, volunteer means doing something for absolutely nothing in return. In Japanese, you will probably get something in return later.

No matter, my opinion is the workers some be paid something for "volunteering" their services.

So at what point does remuneration change the status of a volunteer to an employee​?

Absolutely yes. Slave labour when the IOC will rake in billions is utterly obscene. Why countries sign away their own laws with the IOC comes to town is equally disgraceful

Individuals should be offered a measure of daily support/expenses, but many will probably not want to accept anything.

In other words eager and inspired people could be free to 'volunteer' to opt out of an offered package if it threatened their own volunteer spirit.

No - don't pay them - I want them to stay as real volunteers - people who give something back.

Ift hey get paid, they will all come through some temp agency and it will be the agency that really makes the big bucks.

Not money. But a medal of some sort to celebrate the event would be better than a T-shirt.

At the very least the volunteer's transportation costs and meals while on the job should be covered and they should also receive some 支度金 (shitaku-kin, "preparation money") that pays for laundering or dry cleaning their uniforms and other out-of-pocket expenses. Not to do so is exploitation, plain and simple.

Volunteers don't get paid by definition. Still in Japan, こうつひ (transport money) is customary, maybe bento and maybe a souvenir of some sort is fine and fair.

At the Sydney Olympics, which at least locally was renowned for volunteerism, volunteers who bought or paid for their own lunches, were given funky if tasteful colourful coats to identify them.

Afterwards, it was announced they could pay $50 or something like that to purchase and keep them (a bit of money then).

The Sydney Olympics broke even eventually, but that was an act of typical New South Wales penny-pinching bastardry.

I hope Tokyo organizers don't pop up retrospective surprises for volunteers like in Sydney

Volunteers will get issued with specific Olympic clothes/uniforms that they are allowed to keep. They also get access to free tickets to nominated events. The value of the clothes and tickets is not unsubstantial. They also get all meals while on the job, free plus drinks. Their positions give them access to areas behind the scenes that others would love to get and they have a much increased chance of contact with athletes from the competing nations, depending on their jobs. They also get a sense of pride of being part of a team for a very rare event that comes along only once or twice in a life time in your own country, with the souvenirs to prove it.

People in other countries do not get paid for this volunteer work it is a privilege to be chosen and an honor to be a part of. Are Japanese people less than those from other nations who have given time and effort for such a special occasion? After seeing Japanese fans cleaning the stadiums at the world cup, I would say they are as good as, or better. If you want a paid job, go to McDonald's. If you want to be a part of history, volunteer for the Olympics in 2020.

Be exploited while some others will make money. No thanks.

To volunteer when everhthing is fair then OK

I think costs should be covered, to an extent at least, but they should not be paid to profit. I think instead of receiving pay for the work they should be comped a bunch of tickets instead. But again, costs for transportation should be covered, especially given how much Tokyo is begging for volunteers.