On Tuesday, November 6, Americans will cast their vote for the next President of the United States as well as many additional important political positions and amendments. As an employer, you may have questions regarding your requirements for allowing your employees time away from work to vote.  According to the Colorado Secretary of State, and Revised Statute §1-7-102, employers must allow employees three or more non-working hours to vote between 7 am and 7 pm, or they will be required to provide up to two hours of paid time off for the purpose of voting.  In order to receive this approved time, the following conditions must be met:

1. Advance notice prior to Election Day must be given by the employee to their manager or business owner.
2. Employee must be scheduled to work on Election Day. This schedule must prevent the employee from having a minimum of three non-working hours to vote while the polls are open.
3. If time off is required, the employer may specify the hours of absence. However the employee can request the time off be taken either at the beginning or the end of a scheduled work shift.
4. Employee is not required to use their lunch break for voting time.
5. Employers may not discipline or retaliate against an employee for taking time off to vote.

At StaffScapes, we encourage you to promote the right to vote and the civic duty we have to exercise this vote to your employees.  That said, much news has been given this election season to CEO’s who pressure employees to vote according to their beliefs and we caution you against forcing any one specific candidate or position upon your workforce.  Allowing necessary time off when required and encouraging your employees to participate will help show the importance of voting and how we as a society impact decisions that make America a great place to work and operate a business.