Canadians across the country will be going to the polls on September 20th. Employers must give workers sufficient time to vote. It doesn’t matter if you’re in the office or working from home. The rules are the same.
Three consecutive hours
On Monday September 20th, voting booths will open from 9 am to 9:30 pm in Quebec. If you’re working on election day, your employer must allow you three consecutive hours to go vote.
For example:
- You work from 9 am to 5 pm: your employer does not have to give you time to go vote. This is because you have four and a half hours after work ends to go vote.
- You work from 11 am to 8 pm: your employer must allow you time to vote before, during, or after your shift. For example, you could finish work at 6:30 pm instead of 8 pm.
Your lunchtime is normally not taken into consideration for the three consecutive hours. Your employer is free to decide when to allow employees to go vote.
Your employer is not allowed to deduct those hours from your paycheque.
These rules may not apply for people working in the transportation industry. You can verify with Elections Canada.
For answers to all your frequently asked questions, visit elections.ca!