Published: November 13, 2026
Compassion includes the people who provide refuge. Cotton Branch Refuge Project is committed to fair employment practices, respectful supervision, sustainable workloads, and a workplace where people can raise concerns. These principles guide paid roles and how we distinguish employment, contracting, and voluntary service.
Fair, explainable compensation
Set compensation using the role's responsibilities, relevant experience, comparable work, organizational resources, and applicable pay requirements. Review pay practices periodically for inequities and consider local living costs and a sustainable path toward better compensation and benefits as resources permit.
Pay all wages and overtime required by law, on time, with accurate records. Require accurate recording of work time; do not ask nonexempt employees to perform unpaid off-the-clock work, including required messages, training, or animal-care duties. Classify workers based on the actual relationship and applicable law, not a preferred label or a desire to save money.
Leadership compensation and related party arrangements require documented independent review under our Conflict of Interest Policy and Financial Controls & Compensation Policy. No one approves their own pay or that of a related person.
Workload, rest, and safety
Plan staffing and task assignments around realistic workloads and the animals' continuing needs. Explain duties and emergency expectations clearly. Arrange coverage, breaks, rest, and leave consistent with applicable requirements and the person's employment terms. A commitment to animals must not be used to normalize unsafe hours or pressure someone to ignore an injury or illness.
Provide role-appropriate training, protective equipment, safe handling guidance, and a way to report hazards. Staff may pause a task that presents a reasonable immediate safety concern and seek guidance without retaliation. Respond to injuries and incidents promptly and make necessary reports.
Mental health and compassionate support
Animal care can involve grief, distress, difficult end-of-life decisions, and compassion fatigue. Encourage respectful check-ins, debriefing after serious incidents, appropriate boundaries, use of available leave, and access to outside support where available. Do not require disclosure of a diagnosis or personal trauma to be treated with care.
Consider reasonable accommodations and flexible arrangements individually in light of the role and animal-care needs. Keep health and accommodation information confidential and separate from general personnel discussions. Supervisors must not provide clinical advice outside their qualifications or promise services the organization does not offer.
Volunteers, interns, and contractors
Explain the scope, supervision, training, and expected commitment of each role before participation. Voluntary service must be voluntary; do not pressure an employee to donate time performing work that must be paid. Assess internship, contractor, and volunteer arrangements under applicable rules and revisit them when actual duties change.
Volunteers deserve the same dignity, safety, inclusion, and protection from harassment and retaliation as other members of our team. A volunteer role does not guarantee future employment, and a charitable mission does not excuse employment obligations.
Voice, concerns, and review
People may ask questions about pay, hours, safety, workload, supervision, or fairness, including exercising lawful rights to discuss working conditions or raise concerns collectively. No confidentiality rule in our policies is intended to restrict those rights.
Raise concerns with an unconflicted leader or use the Whistleblower Policy to request independent Board review. The Board and leadership review pay and wellbeing practices as part of responsible stewardship. This public policy describes our standards; specific pay rates, benefits, leave arrangements, and any employment commitments are set out in the applicable role documents and law.