Employee Volunteers

By Lynn Krupnik

Federal and state wage and hour laws require employers to compensate employees for their work. Sounds pretty basic, right?  This can get confusing, however, when hourly employees “volunteer” their time.  For example, what if the association maintenance man “volunteers” to stay late to finish repairs?  What if the association administrative assistant “volunteers” to attend an association holiday event, perhaps to take tickets or pass out food?  Are these hourly employees really volunteering their time or are they working?