Client Alert: Minnesota Employees Must Receive Pay While Voting

With this year’s election only days away, businesses must work within the framework of Minnesota’s “Time Off To Vote” law.

The law requires that employers give their employees, who are eligible to vote, a reasonable amount of time to vote in this year’s elections. The law states that employers may not “directly or indirectly refuse, abridge, or interfere” with an employee’s rights and that doing so can result in a misdemeanor. Moreover, the employer cannot deduct wages or salary from employees who choose to partake in their right to vote, nor can employers mandate that employees use sick leave or paid time off to vote.

Employers, however, are entitled to have reasonable notification from their employees in order coordinate scheduled work  and prevent an adverse impact on their business.

If you have any questions about employee absences, do not hesitate to reach out to Lisa Lamm Bachman at 612.338.8788.