The Sacramento Bee State Worker inbox finds answers for common questions about public employment in California. Have a question? Email reporter Wes Venteicher at wventeicher@sacbee.com.

Can my boss force me to volunteer? — Anonymous

For some state workers, the emails are familiar. They might be blasted out from a department head or be filtered down with a nudge from a mid-level manager. The subject line might read, “seeking volunteers.”

Some employees have written The State Worker saying they feel like the requests feel more mandatory than voluntary. Sometimes a manager’s solicitations for donations for events or causes can feel the same way.

Emails exchanged by workers at the California Prison Industry Authority ahead of a former manager’s retirement party last year reflected that pressure.

“The luncheon is free,” a manager wrote in one email. “Dig deep in your pockets for the gift you cheapskates.”

Emails exchanged among lower-level employees suggested they didn’t feel their contributions toward planning the party or the day’s events were optional.

CalHR doesn’t have a specific policy on volunteering, department spokesman Andrew LaMar said in an email. LaMar added that any employee who is regularly asked to do work-related tasks not covered in their job duty statements should talk about it with a supervisor or their HR department.

“No disciplinary action can be filed against a state worker for failing to volunteer or donate money for something,” LaMar said.

LaMar said the key to what’s appropriate and what’s not in volunteer requests at state jobs is whether the request is work-related.

Requiring an employee to, say, buy a daughter’s Girl Scout cookies or help sell the cookies at a non-work event would be inappropriate and illegal, he said.

“A lot of other things things that are work related may be called ‘volunteer’ duty ... however if a supervisor or director determines the duty is important and work related, it isn’t volunteer duty at all, it’s no different than a boss asking you to undertake any task that falls within your job duties that is work related,” LaMar said in an email.

Work-related activities performed on a volunteer basis are often meant to boost morale, LaMar said.

“It would be self-defeating if employees are being unhappily forced to plan, or participate in, such events,” he said.

This story was originally published February 12, 2020 at 6:30 AM.