Volunteers are not covered unless _____.

• A. They are paid.
• B. They sign a waiver.
• C. The nonprofit organization adopts coverage.
• D. They are subject to payroll taxes.

Answer: (C)

Volunteers aren’t automatically covered by workers’ compensation. In California, coverage for volunteers is optional and only exists if the organization—typically a nonprofit—elects to adopt coverage for them under its workers’ compensation policy. When coverage is adopted, injuries that occur during volunteering are covered, just like injuries to employees, within the policy’s terms. Without that election, volunteers aren’t covered.

The other options don’t create coverage: paying volunteers doesn’t automatically grant workers’ comp protection (and paying them can change their status to employees, which brings standard coverage anyway but isn’t the opt-in mechanism the question targets); signing a waiver doesn’t provide workers’ comp protection; payroll taxes pertain to employees, not to volunteering.