Is an employer bound to provide time for an employee to vote on Election Day?
Full Question:
Answer:
If polls are not open two consecutive hours outside an employee’s regular shift, the employee can take up to two hours to vote, excluding lunch and rest periods. (Haw. Rev. Stat. Section 11-95). The statute requires employers to pay employees for time off with proof that a vote is cast. The employer may deduct leave time from the employee’s wages if the employee fails to vote and the employer can verify the failure to vote. The statute further states that any person, business, or corporation who refuses an employee the privileges conferred by the section, or subjects an employee to a penalty or deduction of wages because of the exercise of the privileges, or who directly or indirectly violates the section, shall be subject to a fine of not less than $50 nor more than $300.