Due to Federal Budget cuts, Yosemite Park seasonal employees were asked to volunteer without receiving pay while filing of their paperwork experienced delays. GEL Partner Kevin Owen was asked to share his thoughts.
“By asking volunteers to work in different jobs than the ones they were later paid to do, the park service may not have violated federal labor laws”, said Kevin Owen, an employment lawyer who represents federal workers.
Still, Owen said that the requests to volunteer could harm the park. “Since experienced workers might be less likely to agree to work without pay, fewer of them may have accepted the proposal”, he said.
“It will lead to either stories of long lines at national parks or stories of missing campers who can’t be found when they otherwise should have been,” Owen said.
“It looks like it is inconsistent with the policy that they have in their handbook. Whether or not it actually is a violation of the FLSA is going to be heavily fact dependent.”
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