Are ‘Volunteers’ Protected From Employment Discrimination?

According to the Sixth Circuit, not as far as Title VII is concerned.

So, can an organization decide to terminate a volunteer’s affiliation with it because of the volunteer’s religion?

The answer, according to a recent panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, is that volunteers who do not receive remuneration and other financial benefits and whose performance is not controlled by the organization in a manner similar to the employee-employer relationship are not “employees” under Title VII, and may not advance employment discrimination claims.

Something to keep in mind if you volunteer for arts nonprofits. Via JD Supra.