New York Time Off To Vote Notice

Did you know that the Federal law assures American citizens of their right to vote? It’s pretty interesting and unique to note that many states have laws that dictate how an employee can take time off during an election; New York is one of those states. In fact, voting is so important that New York companies who bar a worker from voting could lose their corporate charter.

I noticed that the time off for voting varies widely from one state to the next. It is interesting to look at the differences, but here we’ll concern ourselves with New York. The time off allowed for voting in New York is up to two hours of paid leave. The exception to that is if the employee has four consecutive hours outside of work when the polls are open; then he or she does not have to be paid. If it takes more than two hours to vote, the employer does not have to pay for the extra time. The employee is required to give notice of his or her plans to vote at least two days but not more than ten days in advance.

Like 19 other states I found, New York allows the employer to specify which time of day an employee can take time off to vote—so they can request that employees vote either at the beginning or the end of the work day. It seems that the best case scenario would be for the employer and employee to work together to plan a time that works best for all involved.

Employers must post notices in a conspicuous place inside the work area telling employees what their requirements are for complying with New York’s Time Off to Vote Law. These notices must be posted at least ten working days in advance of every election. The New York Complete Labor Law poster is available reflecting this notice.

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