Am I entitled to three hours off work to vote?
Am I entitled to three hours off work to vote?
Yes, by law you are entitled to have three consecutive hours available to vote while polls are open on election day. That is within reason, as the time you take must respect your employer’s needs.
There are exceptions. Section 131(2) of the Elections Act says, “Where the employment of an employee does not permit the use of three consecutive hours of the employee’s own time for voting, the employer shall allow the employee such additional time with pay from the hours of the employee’s employment as may be necessary to provide the three consecutive hours, but the additional time for voting must be granted to the employee at the time of day that best suits the convenience of the employer.”
In addition the three hour rule doesn’t apply to certain workers; people involved in the operation and dispatch of trains, buses, motor transports, ships or aircraft, if the three hours interferes with scheduled operation.
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