Mandatory Volunteering - Unpaid Labor - Illinois

[bluecollar_9]

To explain my situation, I work at a For Profit business (max of 20 employees) that is partnered with a Non-Profit Business (over 100 employees, benefits from IL State grants/funding). Basically, I work at the For-Profit but our paychecks are cut by the Non-Profit. I make just over minimum wage and I have been told that I cannot work over 32.5 hours a week. (If I work over one day, I must leave early on another day.) I work 5 days a week at 6.5 hours a day.

We have a big event coming up soon that I have been told that I must work. It's to be a 12 hour day and I have been told that we are not going to be paid for that day as it is being listed as "Mandatory Volunteer" hours (unpaid labor). This event does not occur during our normal work schedule.

I was originally told that my schedule would be changed through the week so that the hours for this event would be taken from my regularly scheduled time so that I would not go over the 32.5 hours.

Later, I was told that my schedule would not be changed and I would be paid for my regular 32.5 hours plus the 12 hour event.

Currently I am being told that I will be expected to work my regular 32.5 hours and I will be expected to volunteer my time for the event. However, if I was also told that if I do not volunteer my time I will not have a job.


Question 1. Can I be mandated to "volunteer" for this 12 hour event (that will bring the company many profits) above and beyond my normal 32.5 hour work week?

Question 2. Can my weekly schedule be changed in order to mandate that I will have to work that day to maintain my 32.5 hour work week? The event is outside of my normal work schedule and the business will still be open and operating during my normal work schedule.

Any and all information would be greatly appreciated. If you could please include links to any IL State websites for the information it would be even more appreciated.

I have came here mainly to back up the information I have already found. I'm slightly confused due to the mix of Non-Profit & For-Profit businesses. If you have any other questions or verification's please ask.

Thank you very much in advance!!

[bluecollar_9]

More clarification.

My job would be listed as General Labor / Warehousing in a r e c y c l i n g atmosphere.

The Non-Profit is Unionized and the For-Profit is not.

[DAW]

1. Most employers can make most employees work any hours the employer wants. What few exceptions that exists are for things such as airline pilots and minor childern employees. So it is very likely that any "work these hours" and "do not work these hours" insructions are legal.
2. Past that, it is legally very difficult to get around minimum wage (averaged over the workweek). There is an extremely narrow exception affecting non-profits.
Example. Bob is the non-profit's accountant. Let's say that the non-profit manages a historical site. Bob can legally donate his time for non-accounting work only. The rule is that employees cannot legally donate their normal paid services to a non-profit. Employees cannot donate time to a for profit at all.
3. Lets say that Jane is the accountant for a for-profit company. The employer orders Jane and other employees to "volunteer" their time cleaning a stretch of road sponsored by the company. This is paid time if the Jane cannot say no.

Those are the basic rules. Adding multiple related employers does not make any more exceptions.