No Good Deed: How Non-Profit Employers Should Properly Classify Volunteer Services

When does a volunteer legally become an employee? For California’s nonprofit sector, the answer just got a lot clearer. A recent California appellate case, Spilman v. Salvation Army, provides a roadmap for distinguishing between employees and volunteers, specifically in the nonprofit setting. Importantly, this case does not extend the same protections to for-profit businesses, which remain subject to stricter standards under California wage law.... By: Lewitt Hackman