According to the Department of Labor (DOL), employees in the nonprofit sector can volunteer their services as long as it's not the same work they already get paid to do. That's not the case with for-profit employers, however, who can't ask or allow employees to work for free under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

Is working for free illegal?

The answer is: no. It's never legal for an employer to make a non-exempt California employee do off-the-clock work.

What is it called when you work for free?

The practice of getting work experience for little or no pay is termed internship .