Virginia Woman Exposes Employer for Forcing “Mandatory Volunteering” — “You Can’t Put ‘Volunteer’ and ‘Mandatory’ Together”
VIRGINIA – A Virginia woman is going viral after revealing how her former employer tried to force workers into “mandatory volunteering”, threatening termination if they refused. The woman said she was stunned when management claimed the eight-hour unpaid event was “required,” despite calling it “volunteering,”.
“You Don’t Get a Choice”
The woman, who goes by @jackolopeandhuckleberry on TikTok, said she was working for a company that suddenly announced everyone would be attending a “mandatory volunteer weekend.”
“I was like, wait… you can’t put the word volunteer and mandatory together,” she said in her post.
When she refused to sign up, her coworker told her she had no choice. Management allegedly informed her that failure to show up would lead to termination.
“They said everyone’s expected to volunteer eight hours on Saturday,” she explained. “I said, ‘Then you better pay me like a normal workday.’”
The company’s supervisor claimed the policy had been around for 20 years, but employees were never paid for those volunteer hours.
@jackolopeandhuckleberry Don’t let your employer take advantage of you! No such thing as mandatory volunteering! #employmentlaw #jobtips #worklife #work
“You Can’t Force Me to Work for Free”
After standing her ground, the woman said she contacted the Department of Labor, who confirmed that forcing unpaid work under threat of firing would violate wage and hour laws.
“In the end, everyone was paid for their ‘volunteer time,’” she said. “That’s how you take care of business.”
“Volun-Told” Culture
Her story hit a nerve online, drawing thousands of comments from users who said their own workplaces had tried to pull similar tactics.
One viewer wrote:
“One of my jobs calls this volun-told. I’m facing this on my regular day off — and I have another job! You can’t force me to work for free.”
Another added:
“I don’t volunteer at work anymore. Not for anything. Not ever again. If I’m not being paid, I’m not showing up.”
Commenters said the case exposes a toxic corporate trend of disguising unpaid labor as “team-building” or “community engagement.”
“If it feels illegal, it probably is,” one commenter summed up.
Know Your Rights
Experts say U.S. employers cannot require unpaid “volunteer” work for profit-based events. Workers facing similar demands should contact their state’s Department of Labor or a labor rights attorney immediately.
Have you ever been “volun-told” to work without pay? Share your story with us at FatCityFeed.com.
