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Ahead of Election Day, At Least One Employer Is Offering Paid Time Off to Vote


For those readers that have not already early voted, some states still allow a few additional days to get your votes in.  For everyone else, next Tuesday is election day across the country.  While some readers might live in states where mail-in ballots are allowed, others have to go to a polling place in their community to cast their ballot.  However, many voters struggle with finding the time to go vote when they have work, family, childcare, and other life responsibilities that occupies a majority of their day when the polls are opened.  That often leaves precious little time to actually go to the polls and wait in line.

With that being said, at least one employer, Cava, has been reported to be offering its 1,600 hourly employees two hours of paid leave to head to the polls today.  Some have reported that Cava is the first national restaurant group of its kind to offer this benefit to its hourly workers.

Whether or not this trend (of large employers) offering paid time off to hourly employees to vote catches on elsewhere is hard to predict (although note that some states actually require paid time off be offered).  Nevertheless, this effort by Cava should be applauded as a proactive measure to accommodate its workers that want to vote but find it difficult to do during the workday.  This type of good will gesture by an employer can often pay dividends with workers in the long run as employees feel a sense of pride in their workplace, commitment to an employer they believe actually cares about them, and a renewed sense of dedication to their work.  It will be interesting to see whether this paid time off "movement" gains steam ahead of the 2020 general election.


For additional information:  https://www.washingtonian.com/2018/10/22/cava-will-give-its-1600-employees-paid-leave-to-vote-on-election-day/

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