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Hilton Head Hospital Auxiliary will use a $30,000 grant to expand its nursing scholarships.

Some labor experts argue many for-profit hospitals are using unpaid workers to benefit their bottom line.

The U.S. health system benefits from potentially more than $5 billion in free volunteer labor annually, a KHN analysis of data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Independent Sector found. Yet some labor experts argue that using hospital volunteers, particularly at for-profit institutions, provides an opportunity for facilities to run afoul of federal rules, create exploitative arrangements, and deprive employees of paid work amid a larger fight for fair wages.

Hospitals using volunteers is commonplace. But some labor experts argue that deploying unpaid workers to do tasks that benefits the bottom line lets for-profit facilities skirt federal laws, deprives employees of work, and potentially exploits the volunteers.

Hospitals using volunteers is commonplace. But some labor experts argue that deploying unpaid workers to do tasks that benefits the bottom line lets for-profit facilities skirt federal laws, deprives employees of work, and potentially exploits the volunteers.