Is an employer bound to provide time for an employee to vote on Election Day?
Full Question:
Answer:
In ohio, employees may take a “reasonable amount of time” to vote on Election Day. The statute does not say whether the time off is paid or unpaid. (Ohio Rev. Code Ann. Section 3599.06).
Most states require employers to provide time for their employees to vote on Election Day. Although these laws vary in each state, they generally require employers to give their employees time off to vote unless the polls are open two or three hours outside the employee’s regular shift. Some states require employers to pay for the time off while some states require employees to request the time off from their employers in advance.
The public policy of all the states is to encourage voting in elections. An employer’s denial of an employee’s request to take time off to vote is therefore a violation of the state’s public policy.