Arranging cover for your slot - skip, pause or swap
We understand that not every week is the same, and therefore you might not be able to do one of your future collections as planned. If you're unwell, if you're going to be away, or if you've had a last minute change of plans or emergency. We've made it super simple for you to reach out to the FWH Community for help to cover your slot. You can also permanently swap slots with someone in your squad.
You can skip, pause or swap your collection slot in ' My Collection Slots' under 'More Info' on the Volunteer Hub.
Skipping
How can I skip a slot if I can't make my next collection?
No problem! Please head to the Volunteer Hub and navigate to ‘ My Collections’. Then choose the slot you want to skip and tap ‘more info’. Scroll down and tap ‘Skip next collection’.
When you skip your collection, Olio's Little Helper will send a message in your squad's group chat. Your fellow FWHs or FWHs outside your squad can then indicate that they'll cover for you, by claiming your skipped slot on the Volunteer Hub under 'Available collection slots'.
🙏 Please aim to skip before the day of your collection and not skip too many consecutive slots. If you need to skip more than 3 consecutive collections, please unassign yourself instead.
⚠️ Please note: If you are reported for skipping more than 3 consecutive collections (for the same collection slot), you will be issued a warning and your slot will be removed.
I can't skip the ''one-off'' collection I have.
Our system doesn't allow FWHs to skip one-off collections. In this instance, please simply unassign from the slot!
Pausing
How can I pause a collection slot if I'm going away?
Please head to the Volunteer Hub and navigate to ‘ My Collections’. Please choose the slot you want to pause and tap ‘more info’. Scroll down and tap ‘Pause collection’. Choose the date of your final collection before the break. Then choose how many collections you want to pause. If you need to pause more than 3 collections, please unassign yourself instead.
🙏 Please aim to pause before the day of your collection and not pause too many consecutively slots. If you need to pause more than 3 consecutive collections please unassign yourself instead.
⚠️ Please note: If you are reported for pausing more than 3 consecutive collections (for the same collection slot), you will be issued a warning and your slot will be removed.
Swapping
How do I swap slots?
If you want to permanently swap your collection slot with a fellow FWH, you can do this on the Volunteer Hub. Please head to 'My Collections', tap 'more info' for the slot you want to swap and then tap 'swap collection' towards the bottom of the page. Please note swapping slots happens immediately, so you must pre-agree in writing in your squad’s group chat and with the person you are swapping with that they are happy with this swap! Also, you will be able to swap your slot only with another Food Waste Hero collecting at the same store.
What if the FWH who stepped forward to cover my paused collection can no longer make it? Would this count as a missed collection for me?
No, it would count against their profile instead.
Whose responsibility is it to arrange cover when I am unable to do a collection?
It is yours, but don't worry - we've made it super simple. Sometimes you can’t collect as planned, so please visit My Collections to skip or pause in the Volunteer Hub. This will offer your slot to your FWHs in the community who can claim your slot(s).
For businesses excluding Tesco UK, Tesco Ireland and Booker:
If a skipped or paused slot is not claimed, it is the responsibility of the FWH who was originally assigned to inform the store that unfortunately there will be no collection.
In the event that no FWH was assigned to the collection slot, it is the Squad Captain responsibility to call the store.
Who can claim my skipped or paused slot?
A message will go out into your squad's group chat when you skip or pause your slot to see if anyone from within the squad can cover the cover slot internally first. But any Food Waste Hero who has completed their training will also be able to claim cover slots via the Volunteer Hub. This means that a Food Waste Hero from outside your squad may join your group chat temporarily whilst the cover is ongoing.
Do I still need to arrange cover if I pause any upcoming collections?
The app will do this for you. Once you’ve paused any upcoming collections on the Volunteer Hub, Olio's Little Helper will offer local FWHs the chance to claim it. To claim any of your slots, your fellow FWHs will have to tap the button to ‘Help out’ in the group chat. When someone claims your paused slot, they will get automatically added to the group chat.
I'm trying to arrange for cover, but I can't skip or pause my collection on the Volunteer Hub. What should I do?
If you have already paused or unassigned from collections at your store, you will not be able to arrange cover before the final collection date you committed to on the Volunteer Hub.
In these instances, the option to unassign, skip, and pause will be greyed out and you will be unable to click on them.
If you absolutely cannot collect, please ask within your squad if someone can cover you informally. They must list any food collected against their own regular collection slot.
What should I do if I miss my collection?
If you do miss a collection without skipping or pausing your slot in the Volunteer Hub, please:
📱 Let your Squad know in the relevant group chat (so no one reports you!).
If you have a valid reason for missing your collection, we will make sure this doesn't count against you. ⚠️ However, if this happens multiple times within a 3 month period, we will share a first ''strike'' with you.