What Is Volunteering?
Volunteering (Ehrenamt) generally means a voluntary activity that is not aimed at generating profit and benefits the public good. An expense allowance may be paid in the form of money, provided there is no genuine profit-making intent and no employment relationship exists.
The General Rule: Volunteering Is a Private Matter
Employees are generally free to organize their leisure time as they wish. For employers, this means that volunteering cannot be prohibited across the board. It becomes relevant under employment law only if the activity interferes with the employee’s work obligations, creates conflicts of interest, or affects legitimate business interests. Notification or approval requirements for secondary activities, which are regularly included in employment contracts, do not initially change this principle. They do, however, primarily give the employer an opportunity to assess whether the volunteering has a relevant connection to the employment relationship. If there is no such connection, the volunteering remains exclusively a private matter.
What Obligations May Employers Face?
As a general rule, there is no additional “right” to engage in volunteering that would give rise to claims against the...
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