The Federal Elections Act provides for all employees to have three consecutive hours off on election day to vote.
If for example an employee works from 8:30 am - 4:30 pm and voting hours are from 8:30 am - 8:30 pm, it is not necessary for the employer to give time off as the employee has three hours after work in which to vote.
If however, an employee works from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., the employer must provide some time off, but it is not necessary to grant three hours off during the middle of the day. The Act provides that voting time is to be allowed at the convenience of the employer, so the employer in this case may allow the employee to leave work at 5:30 p.m.
If you are not sure about your entitlement for time off, you should always check with your supervisor before leaving work to vote.
Please remember to bring your Voters Notice Card and Identification with you when you go to vote on October 19th!
