November 1, 2020

On Election Day, Minnesota Employees Have The Right to Take Time Off From Work to Vote

At long last, election day will be here on Tuesday! While many people already have voted, there certainly will be lots of people who will vote in person on election day.

Please remember that in Minnesota, employees have the right to take time off from work to vote! Specifically, employees who are eligible to vote in a covered election are entitled to take time off from work for the period of time necessary to vote at their polling place and return to work.

Employers are prohibited from deducting from an individual’s wages or from penalizing an employee because of the absence. This means, among others, that an employer cannot require an employee to use accrued paid time off or vacation time for purposes of voting. Violation of this law is a misdemeanor.

Click here for the Minnesota law regarding an employee’s right to time off from work to vote – Minnesota Statute 204C.04.