Volunteers
Unpaid and uncompensated
volunteers doing charitable work for a nonprofit
organization are not considered employees and do not
have to be covered by a workers' compensation
policy. Please note that compensation includes
stipends, room and board, and other "perks" that
have monetary value. (Stipends used solely to offset
expenses incurred while performing activities for
the nonprofit are not counted as stipends.)
NOTE 1: For purposes of
workers' compensation coverage, for-profit business
entities cannot have "volunteers" doing work for the
business. These individuals are employees and must
be covered.
NOTE 2: Volunteer firefighters
and volunteer ambulance workers are provided
benefits for death or injuries suffered in the line
of duty under the Volunteer Firefighters' Benefit
Law and Volunteer Ambulance Workers' Benefit Law.
http://www.wcb.state.ny.us/content/main/onthejob/CoverageSituations/volunteers.jsp