Q:  I can tell that my employees are very interested in this election, and I am not sure what I should do regarding giving time off to vote.  What are my legal obligations as an employer?  What are some best practices?

A:  Many states have rules requiring employers to give employees time off to vote.

Requirements range anywhere from 1 to 3 hours, some paid, some unpaid, some states require employees to notify the employer prior to Election Day, some don’t.  Some states might require proof of voting , some don’t.

But in Florida, they are no such rules for employers.

So, technically you’re not required to make it easy for them to vote; not the way you may be required for example, to facilitate serving one a jury or to give time off for training in the military reserves.

But just because you don’t have to doesn’t mean you shouldn’t.

Employers should definitely do what they can to help their employees’ exercise their civic duty and support the democratic process.  Here are some suggestions:

Consider offering employees at least one hour of paid administrative leave to vote. If they need more time they can use vacation.

When scheduling time off, think of voting location.  The precinct where we vote is close to our house-address, not our work-address.  Therefore, it makes the most sense for employees to vote either before work (and come in late) or after work (and leave early.)

Encourage early voting.  Take advantage of Florida’s several days of early voting, which provides several benefits:

• You can spread out time off to vote over several days, which is  less disruptive for scheduling.
• It also means fewer employees will need time off on actual voting day, a day that can be unpredictable depending on long lines and voter turnout.
• And because during early voting you don’t have to vote in your own  precinct,  location is not an issue. This means employees might be able to vote around their lunch hour (not just before or after work).

One last thought:  There is no law requiring employers to be good corporate citizens and  participate in community and charity events, yet they do so because it builds morale and goodwill all around.

In the same way, there’s nothing requiring you to help your employees get out to vote, but doing so reinforces who we are as Americans and it adds to the “good-will-to-all” feeling. And after this election, we could all use a big dose of that.

©Copyright Eva Del Rio

Eva Del Rio is creator of HR Box™ – tools for small businesses and startups. Send questions to Eva@evadelrio.com