The HRTech Wire

Volunteer or Work? New DOL Guidance for Nonprofit Payroll Teams

A new U.S. Department of Labor opinion letter (FLSA2026-12), prompted by a nonprofit dog-training organization, clarifies that exempt employees may volunteer additional hours for their employer after hours — provided the duties differ from their regular role and participation is genuinely voluntary, with misclassification risk arising if non-exempt time is logged incorrectly. The guidance has payroll compliance implications but does not directly involve an HR-technology vendor, platform, or regulation targeting HR software.