Q. "Do we need to give time off to vote?"
Answer:
There is no federal law requiring employers to give workers time off to vote, but the following jurisdictions do require it:
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming
If you have employees in any of the above jurisdictions, be sure to check to see whether or not you are required to:
Provide paid or unpaid leave
Post a notice reminding employees of their right to take time off
Ask your employees to give you notice of their need for time off
Give a certain amount of time dependent on local polling hours
If your state does not require you to give employees leave for voting, doing so is an easy gesture that can encourage your team to get involved in your local community and further build your team culture!