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Employee Leave for Voting

posted by TrueNorth Employee Benefits on Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Today marks the 2016 U.S. presidential election - the following outlines steps employers can take to handle requests from employees for time off from work to vote. 

Although federal law does not require employers to provide their employees time off to vote, many states have voting leave laws that allow employees to take time off to vote in certain circumstances. The specifics vary by state, but many of these voting leave laws: 

• Require the leave to be paid. Most states have laws requiring employers to provide time off from work to vote. 
• Impose a notice requirement on employees. Some state laws require employees to provide their employers with notice of the leave and employers in New York and California must post a notice regarding voting leave laws. 
• Allow employers to designate the hours during which employees may be absent to vote. In many states, employees who have sufficient time to vote during their non-working hours are not eligible for leave. 

Employers should be aware of the voting leave laws that apply to them and be prepared to comply with any applicable requirements. 

VOTING RESOURCES:

• Voting and Elections in the United States - find answers to common questions about voting in the United States.
• U.S. Election Assistance Commission
• TrueNorth's Breakdown of Employee Voting Laws by State