Hedonisia Hawaii Tropical Farm Retreat
Hedonisia Volunteer
Frequently Asked Questions
1) Do you accept Volunteers with Children?
2) What is your Volunteer Pet Policy?
3) Do you provide Food to Volunteers?
4) What is the Maximum Stay Allowed for a Volunteer after the Trial Period?
5) How Secure are my Personal Possessions at Hedonisia?
7) What are the Hedonisia Guidelines regarding: Visitors and Overnight Guests?
9) How many people are living/working at Hedonisia Hawaii?
10) Is it possible to have a Second job/Earning Income?
12) Do you allow Volunteers Flexible Work Hours?
13) How does Hedonisa track my Volunteer work contribution?
14) How can a Volunteer support the Hedonisia Eco-Sustainable Policies?
1) Do you accept Volunteers with Children?
- We offer Volunteer possibilities on a case-by-case basis depending on the parent's skills in some of the work projects we have at Hedonisia. We do try to be flexible with work as we know that children have their own timetable and needs! However for parents we generally require that the child stay under the 50/50 Guest/Volunteer Program. This applies to single parents and couples. All parents are completely responsible for the care of their children as well as any detrimental effects they may have on Guests, Volunteers and on the property itself. We like to maintain a peaceful & harmonious space in the communal living areas. If you have a child who is creating a disturbance please take your child on a nice walk or a drive to a place that is not disrupting the volunteers or guests on the property. Please be aware that we have a deep volcanic crater on the property- so it is absolutely essential that a child does not enter or play in this crater unless accompanied by an adult.
2) What is your Volunteer Pet Policy?
- Hedonisia Hawaii is pet friendly. We allow pets to stay for a flat rate charge of $30 for smal dogs or cats and $50 for large dogs or horses. All pet owners are completely responsible for the care of their animals as well as cleaning up any mess that they make. This is especially important with regards to any detrimental effects they may have on Guests, Volunteers and on the property itself. There is a $100 DAMAGE DEPOSIT that is required for pets. This deposit is refundable if owner and pet leave without any incident.
3) Do you provide Food to Volunteers?
- Part of a Volunteer's Registration Payment is considered a Farming Produce Fee. This means that any food growing on the property is free for Volunteers to use. There is also a Communal Food Area where foodstuffs that are donated or left behind by previous guests are available for Volunteers to use. Please do not rely on this, and be sure to have enough funds to buy food. Holiday Guests and Volunteers are responsible for their own food. There are Communal Food Areas and food in these locations is available to Volunteers and guests. There are also food lockers to store your food items. Hedonisia is defined as, "A community of independent individuals (and couples)!". Occasionally, as a group, we share our food and eat our meals together, but those times are voluntarily random and spontaneous.
- As part of your pick-up fee from the airport we always stop by the grocery store so you can stock up! Otherwise there are a number of supermarkets and health food stores in the area. Volunteers are responsible for their own food.
4) What is the Maximum Stay Allowed for a Volunteer after the Trial Period?
- We do not automatically guarantee a long stay; all Volunteers stay on a week to week basis. However, if your work is acceptable you are able to adapt to Hedonisia community living then you can stay longer than the three week Trial Period. The cost is one day as a Guest for every week you wish to stay as a Volunteer. So if you wish to stay for 6 weeks then you pay for 6 days. We typically have a limit on stay for 1 - 3 months, but our main limitation is the Volunteer's character. If the Volunteer fulfills his or her work above and beyond what is required, gets along fantasticly with the other Volunteers and Guests, and has a wonderful personality- then we can extend the stay. In other words Volunteers who become Friends of Hedonisia can stay longer!
- If a prospective Volunteer wants a certain amount of security in fixing the time of their stay then we allow you to pay for 50% of your planned stay and you may perform volunteer work to pay for the remaining portion. This allows you to bypass the Trial Period as well as the insecurity of working on a week-to-week basis.
- In addition, if we cannot offer you a longer stay as a Volunteer then you can still stay on as a Paying Guest as long as there was no serious infringements of the Fair-Trade Volunteer Termination of Stay Terms in which case you will be asked to leave.
5) How Secure are my Personal Possessions at Hedonisia?
- Because we are a small eco-hostel we have very few incidents of theft. The biggest problem is Guests or Volunteers leaving their possesions lying around in communal spaces such as the Barn. When someone is cleaning if they find a personal item then they will place it in the Lost & Found Zone which is also the Donation Zone! So please keep personal items in your living quarters. There is additional storage space in The Barn rafters to store personal belongings. Keeping The Barn area free of personal items allows space for additional activities; yoga, movies, dancing, and music.
- As with most hostel communal fridges there is sometimes issues of privacy and volunteer's "borrowing" another person's food. For total Food Security we can provide a cooler upon request for cold food storage. A 1 Liter bottle from the freezer will keep food and drink in a cooler for about 2 days. A 1 Liter bottle from the freezer will keep food and drink in a cooler for about 2 days.
6) I am a professional whose work is valued at a high rate of pay. Can the value of my profession be reflected in my Volunteer hours?
- Hedonisia Volunteer Trade is NOT a job for cash. While we are quite aware that skilled jobs like electrician, carpenter, masseuse or mechanic are paid at a much higher rate in the "real" world, at Hedonisia we value all work equally as a Volunteer contribution. We simply would not be able to survive otherwise.
- We do appreciate the help of professionals; in fact a person with specialist skills to offer can be accepted over other applicants if their skills are needed. This is especially true if the hostel is full.
- If you are a professional whose skills normally command a high salary then please be aware that it will be valued equally as any other job at Hedonisia. If that is not acceptable to you then please do not offer your professional services unless you accept that it will be valued equally at 2.5 hours per day as any other job at Hedonisia.
7) What are the Hedonisia Guidelines regarding Visitors, Overnight Guests and/or Dating?
- DAY VISITORS: Are the responsibility of the Guest or Volunteer who invited them. In other words, if you invite someone on the property you are responsible to ensure that they abide by ALL Visitor Regulations which are posted in The Barn. All Visitors need to be to told, by the Volunteer who invited them, that they must clean up after themselves. We hate cleaning up after a Visitor so if you are visiting, it is great to contrinbute in some way to Hedonisia either by washing some dishes, cleaning, weeding etc.
- Do not bring Visitors here with the expectation that they have a place to stay as a Volunteer. They must first be interviewed before we will accept them if space is available.
- No Visitors after 9pm unless okayed by Management.
- ALL Visitors must pay $5 for use of the internet regardless of whether they were a previous Volunteer or Guest.
8) I'm a Single Traveler. What about Dating at Hedonisia? What are your Policies regarding Sexual Harrassment?
The Legal Definition of Sexual Harrassment in the USA:
"Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute sexual harassment when
- submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual's employment,
- submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment decisions affecting such individuals, or
- such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual's work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment. (29 C.F.R. ยง 1604.11 [1980]) "
Dating in the Age of Sexual Harrassment: First and foremost, Hedonisia encourages dating but not sexual harrassment! We are an eco-hostel but we are also a community of individuals and we respect everyone's right to space and privacy.
In the US, people are often so concerned about breaking the law that they rarely date their co-workers in the work place. Many companies have policies that forbid even flirting! In Europe, where sexual harrassment tends to be more strictly defined as unwelcome sexual behavior by a supervisor toward an employee, romance and flirting can still be found in the workplace to a much higher degree.
We try to strike a balance. Everyone here at Hedonisia should feel safe and comfortable to enjoy themselves. This is especially true for single female travelers and volunteers. We provide the space and a beautiful tropical setting for love to blossom. But we don't force it. As a result, many wonderful romances have started here. We are "Hedonisia" and people meet and mate here quite often!
For the protection of all Guests, Volunteers, Managers and the Owner we have designed a set of transparent practical guidelines to allow for people to have fun but to feel safe and legally protected.
- Volunteers & Guests: If you meet someone "on property" then by all means enjoy yourself! You are adults! However, unlike other hostels, we also allow Guests or Volunteers to invite a friend or lover from "off property" to sleep in their space. Overnight visitors are charged at the Volunteer Discount Rate of $12 per night as long as they sleep in the same space as their host. We would appreciate prior notice . . . if possible! If you and your lover become closer and decide to live together then they may interview to be a Fair-Trade Volunteer or continue to pay the discount rate of $12 per night to sleep in the same bedspace.
- Manager/Assistant Managers and Senior Manager: Hedo Managers also date! However, as persons in a position of authority, they too must abide by all sexual harrassment rules. Overnight Guests of Managers are charged at a discount rate of $8 per night. If the relationship becomes deeper and they wish to stay longer they may also interview to be a Volunteer.
- Owner (Mojo): Personal Note: "As owner and manager of Hedonisia, I have also dated fellow Hedonisians! However, like everyone else at Hedonisia I too abide by all sexual harrassment rules. I am very aware of my position and if I do flirt or ask someone for a date and I am refused I do not let that affect my working relationship with her. As a British Indian I am fond of politically incorrect jokes! However, in both my actions and words, I am completely responsive to any complaint. I would only make naughty jokes, flirt or ask for a date if I felt it was appropriate or welcome and will cease if I sense or am told otherwise. However, I do request communication! Simply tell me and I will be respectful! In the event that I do date a Volunteer/Guest or Manager then she can continue to work for Hedonisia if she so wishes, but she is no longer expected to! (As owner, that is one prerogative I can take!)"
One of the easiest ways to avoid sexual harrassment is clear communication. If anyone at Hedonisia steps over your comfort zone tell them! If they persist, notify a Hedo Manager or the owner Mojo immediately. On the other hand, one of the biggest confusions in the issue of Sexual Harrassment is that men often don't know whether a woman likes them or not. If you are a woman and you actually do like someone be sure to tell them! Men love clarity!
9) How many people are living/working at Hedonisia Hawaii?
- Our population varies by season. Hedonisia Hawaii is a small eco-hostel with only 10 bed spaces on 3.72 acres of land, giving everyone the room to enjoy our peaceful jungle setting. Our usual (and ideal) population is between 6 and 16 people. Call in advance for information concerning large groups of volunteers wanting to stay together. Large groups will be assesed on a case by case basis.
10) Is it possible to have a Second job/Earning Income?
- With their extra time, many volunteers have worked at second jobs. We even allow volunteers to do small scale private business activities on the property as long as permission is sought beforehand and the hostel operations are not affected adversely. There are a number of farmers and Individuals who occasionally hire Hedonisians to do landscaping, gardening, or light construction work. Sometimes they give us a call to see if there are any Hedonisian Volunteers available. Otherwise you can look on the notice boards of the Health Food shops in the area for work opportunities.
11) How safe is it for Hitchhiking on Hawaii Island. What is transportation like on the island?
- Hitchhiking is safe and easy on the island, but as with most places in the world there are some criminal types on the island. Hedonisia Hawaii has never suffered from theft yet and we would like to keep it that way. If you have a ride to the property it is usually convenient for the driver to drop you off at the end of the street. If they would like to bring you directly to the property, have them drop you off at the entrance, ESPECIALLY if the driver is a male.
- Paid Driving Services: We do offer paid lifts to various locations on the island for those who don't have cars. Just reserve with one of the Managers. For a list of our Driving Services click here.
- Free Lifts: As well, there are often Volunteers and Guests with their own cars who may offer a free lift. However, please understand that anyone who gives you a lift is doing so because they feel like it. Be appreciative; you may ask but do not expect people to give you rides. And if they do it is often a courtesy to at least offer them something for gas expenses.
- Bus Service: There is also a skeletal bus service on the island. Click here for the Hele-on Bus Service Timetable.
12) Do you allow Volunteers Flexible Work Hours?
- Volunteer Trade is usually done on a day-to-day basis. However, as long as permission is sought beforehand, volunteers may work in advance and "bank" their hours so they can enjoy free days without work. However, this is at the Manager's discretion as some volunteer activities require a daily commitment. If we are doing a special project then you may have the opportunity to work extra hours on that day to have the next day or days off. Once your shift is over you will not be asked to for help again that day unless there is a special project to complete. Volunteers are NOT allowed to owe hours.
- Normally a volunteer shift is from 9:30am to 12:30pm. If you need to adjust this time, ALWAYS see a manager before hand, not after the fact.
13) How does Hedonisa track my Volunteer Work Contribution?
- We operate on a Trust but Verify basis. All volunteers must login to our online Volunteer Hours Spreadsheet where they log the time they took to complete each job they did that day. This allows us to monitor results and also ensures that every job that constitutes a Volunteer's contribution to Hedonisia, no matter how small, is acknowledged and accounted for.
- When a Volunteer properly records their work contribution on the Spreadsheet; it is a great resume builder as there is an accurate record of all the work they did at Hedonisia.
- If you have questions on how to use the spreadsheet, please see a manager.
14) Basic Volunteer Eco Reminders: We are an eco-hostel and so we require all Volunteers to be aware of the Hedo Eco Policies.
- Trash goes in the trash, compost goes in the compost, recycling goes in the recycling. If you have questions please see the management.
- Turn off lights after you use them.
- The coffee pot will be removed if we can not remember to turn it OFF.
- The bathroom lights need to be turned off during quiet time – please use your flashlights.
- Hot showers cost money so please be sparing with the hot water.
15) "I am a man/woman over 40 years of age" or "I am a Single Mother". Is it still okay for me to be a Volunteer at Hedonisia?
At Hedonisia we accept people of all ages, sexual orientations, races, physical abilities and ages! Our aim is to encourage people from all walks of life to have an ecological working vacation where they learn new skills and ideas that they can possibly bring back and practice when they return home. However, with certain demographic groups we have particular questions in our interview process to ensure that we are a proper fit for you. Please click here to see some of our Demographic Interview Questions.