Paid Time Off to Vote Policy Guide
Simple guidance to help your team participate with confidence
An official voting leave policy strengthens trust and keeps your workplace compliant. This guide offers simple steps and reliable, nonpartisan resources to support employee participation on Election Day.
Quick Start Checklist
Use this list to quickly put a voting leave policy in place at your workplace.
✔ Confirm state voting leave laws for all employee locations
✔ Adopt or update a paid time off to vote policy
✔ Add the policy to your handbook, intranet, and onboarding materials
✔ Brief managers each election year
✔ Communicate early voting options to employees
✔ Encourage schedule planning before Election Day
✔ Review policy effectiveness after each cycle
These steps give your workplace a clear, compliant foundation.
Policy Guidelines with Sample Language
These guidelines outline the core elements most workplaces include in a voting leave policy. You can adapt each component with your HR and legal teams. Together, they create a policy that employees understand, and managers can apply consistently.
Purpose: Explains why the policy exists and what it ensures.
“This policy ensures that every employee has enough time to vote in federal, state, and local elections.”Eligibility: Defines who is covered and how state laws shape eligibility.
“All full-time and part-time employees are eligible for voting leave. Requirements depend on the laws of the state where the employee performs their work.”Amount of Leave: Specifies how much time is available and whether it is paid or unpaid.
“The company will provide paid or unpaid time off to vote as required by state law. If an employee already has enough time before or after their scheduled shift to vote, additional leave may not be needed.”How to Request Leave: Sets the process employees should follow.
“Employees should notify their manager or HR at least three days before Election Day. Managers should approve requests unless there is a significant business disruption.”
Scheduling: Explains how managers can support voting time while meeting operational needs.
“Managers may adjust schedules so employees can vote at the start or end of their shift, based on state law and business needs.”Remote and Hybrid Teams: Applies the right state law to each employee’s work location and communicates how this works.
“Voting leave is based on the employee’s primary work location, not their home address. HR will help confirm the applicable state law.”No Retaliation: Ensures employees can use the policy without concern.
“Employees will not be penalized for requesting or using voting leave.”Privacy: Reinforces your nonpartisan stance and protects employee privacy. Employees do not need to explain when or how they vote.
“Employees will not be asked to provide proof of voting or share information about their ballot choices.”Questions: Creates a simple point of contact for support.
“Employees can contact HR with any questions about voting leave or applicable state requirements.”
A clear policy reduces confusion, protects employee privacy, and helps managers support participation smoothly. It builds trust and removes avoidable barriers on Election Day.
Other Policy-Related Tips
These practices help your policy work smoothly and give employees a better experience.
Use simple language. Employees should understand how to use the policy without extra steps.
Equip managers. Give managers a quick briefing, so they can answer questions and apply the policy consistently.
What Leading Companies Do
Many of the country’s most respected employers have adopted clear, supportive voting leave policies that make participation simple for their teams. While each workplace chooses its own approach, the strongest programs share a few common elements. Below are practices used by well-known U.S. companies, along with links to their public statements or policies.
Provide Paid Time Off to Vote
Leading companies offer paid time off so employees can vote without work-related barriers, even in states that don’t require paid leave.
Patagonia closes all U.S. stores and offices on Election Day to give every employee paid time to vote.
Apple provides paid time off to vote and directs managers to ensure employees have the flexibility they need.
Target offers paid time off for voting to hourly and salaried employees.
Support Early Voting and Flexible Scheduling
Top employers recognize that voting does not only happen on Election Day.
Walmart gives associates up to three hours of paid voting time where required and works with employees to schedule time as needed.
Starbucks provides up to three paid hours for voting or civic participation and encourages early voting to reduce Election Day conflicts.
Other organizations promote early and mail voting to reduce Election Day strain on schedules.
Encourage Employees to Serve as Poll Workers
Some companies go further by supporting election administration itself.
Lyft gives employees paid time off to vote and paid time to serve as poll workers.
Salesforce allows employees to use their paid Volunteer Time Off to serve as poll workers.
Levi Strauss & Co. provides paid time off to vote and four hours of paid time for poll work through its volunteer policy.
Make Voting Culture Visible and Nonpartisan
Strong programs are focused on participation, not political viewpoints. Clearly reinforce your nonpartisan stance.
These employers communicate early and share short, timely reminders before each major election.
Coca-Cola provides paid voting time and reinforces civic engagement through nonpartisan internal communications.
X offers paid civic time for voting and election volunteering and emphasizes neutrality while encouraging participation.
Join Collective Efforts
Many leading employers join coalitions like Time To Vote, which sets a simple shared commitment: make voting easy for employees.
Key Takeaway for You
Leading companies treat voting as a basic access issue. They reduce friction, offer paid time when possible, communicate early, support poll workers, and set a clear nonpartisan tone. These steps strengthen trust across the organization.
Understanding State-Level Requirements
Voting leave laws vary significantly. Some states require paid time off. Others allow unpaid time off. Many require advance notice or posting requirements. Because these rules shift over time, a yearly review helps keep your policy accurate.
Trusted resources:
Additional Resources
These tools offer trusted, nonpartisan guidance for HR and legal teams.