Employees in Some States Get Paid Leave for Voting! Is New York on the List?
Election Day is around the corner in the United States, falling on Tuesday, November 8, 2022. That day will have a huge impact on every state in the union, including ours, here in New York.
Among the other measures on the ballot, New Yorkers will be able to vote on their U.S. Senators, Representatives, and possibly most important of all, their Governor. They will also be able to cast their ballots for Senators and Republicans at the State level, weigh in on school board and municipal governments, and much more.
With the 8th being such an important day, it begs the question for those who have day jobs: can I miss work to perform my civic duty?
Report Gives Clarity on State, National Decision on Paid Leave for Voting
An article from Chris Marr in Bloomberg Law detailed the latest updates at the state and federal level regarding an employee's ability to miss work in order to vote on Election Day.
The article stated that 29 states in America currently offer time-off for those that are going to vote on Election Day, with New York being one of those states. All but seven of those states offer paid leave for voters, with neighboring states Massachusetts and Connecticut being two of the seven on the list.
The issue of voters receiving time off is still being handled on a state-by-state basis, which is why 21 states do not currently allow it. A bill was introduced that would ensure workers have voting leave nationwide. The bill would require employers nationwide to provide at least two hours of paid time off to vote in any federal election.
The article states that it has stalled in Congress, however, and likely won't be pushed through before this election season.
At a national level, the Time to Vote coalition has been formed, which enables individual businesses to "pledge" that their workers will receive time-off for voting purposes. The coalition has over 2,000 members as of this year, including Bath & Body Works and Carhartt, according to the Bloomberg Law article.
At a state level, for the time being, New York will remain in the group of states who offer paid leave to employees who venture out to vote. Not only that, but if the bill does end up getting ratified and put into effect at the federal level, New Yorkers won't feel any change to their Election Day routine.
So, now that you know the facts, head on out on the 8th and get it done!