Here at Tech Networks of Boston we are proud to support our employee’s right to vote. It is essential that your employees know that you care about and support them and that they are able to exercise their right to vote. If you want to encourage your staff to get to the polls for local and federal elections there are two things you can do that will really encourage them: provide them with time and provide them with resources.
In some places, like Massachusetts, employers are required to provide some employees with time off to go to their polling place and cast their ballots. Make sure that your staff knows they are allowed to request time to go and vote and provide them with information on how to look up their polling place, what will appear on their ballot, and how they can prepare before getting to the polls.
At Tech Networks of Boston, we allow our employees 2 hours, either at the beginning or end of their normal workday, which we provide as paid time specifically for voting. This time must be requested in advanced, but we are glad to provide paid time off for team members who otherwise might not have the time in their day to wait in line at their polling place. When team members have long commutes or take care of children at home, it can be difficult to find time to get to the polls and they may decide to skip it altogether. Providing time off (especially when its paid) expresses how important voting is and gives your team a way to get to the polls without risking lost pay or lost time with their families.
Resources are the next most important thing. It can be difficult to balance work, life, and learning about issues during local or federal elections. Here at TNB we provide links to confirm or update voter registration, find poling locations, review election candidates, and research local propositions. Doing this makes it easy for our staff to find the resources they need and review information without spending unnecessary time researching on their own.
Voting this year might look a little different. With the ongoing pandemic many employees may not feel comfortable going to vote in-person, but that doesn’t mean we should stop encouraging them to cast their votes. This year we are providing information on voting by mail and early voting options for our team. Find out if your state allows voting by mail, if there are any restrictions, and provide information on being safe if your employees decide to go to the polls in-person this November.
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