Time Off Your Work for Voting Today

It is October 24, 2022 today and it is municipal election day!

Regular voting hours are 10am to 8pm. Because those hours are limited, if you work today your employer is REQUIRED to give you time off to vote.

If you want more technical details you can consult section 50 of the Municipal Elections Act, or you can consult a very good summary aimed at employers from Filion Wakely. Here I am summarizing as clearly as  possible what you can demand from your boss.

Unless your regular or scheduled hours for today give you THREE consecutive hours off work (such as between 10am and 1pm, or between 5pm and 8pm) during those voting hours of 10-8: your employer is REQUIRED to give you a three hour block of time off. That block is the boss’s choice, but if you are scheduled to work any of the hours you are entitled to be paid for them.

So if you are scheduled to work from 10-8, say (as many people are!) then your boss has to give you three of those hours off in a row, paid, today.

If you are scheduled to work from 12-6, the boss could give you 10-1 or give you 5-8 at their choice, but you should be paid for the hour you were scheduled for.

The law applies only to an “elector”, so you must be eligible to vote (that is different from being registered to vote, you don’t have to be registered).

Happy Election Day!

Written by Craig Burley

Craig is a tax lawyer in private practice in Hamilton, Ontario. Call Craig at (905) 296-3378 to discuss issues that you think may need independent tax advice. In addition to tax, Craig writes and works publicly on a number of other issues related to law, justice, and public affairs.

Website: http://craigburley.com