Tuesday will mark a new, paid holiday for employees at a Scottsdale company.
A spokeswoman for Rowpar Pharmaceuticals said the company will pay about $3,000 for its ten employees to take off Election Day – even those who have already mailed in ballots. While your employer may not designate tomorrow a holiday, in some cases you could get paid to vote.
If there are fewer than three consecutive hours between the polls opening and your shift starting, state law says you’re entitled to paid time off to vote.
For example, polls in Maricopa County open at 6 a.m. If you start work at 7 a.m. and you’re late because you went to vote, the law says your boss cannot dock your pay. Same thing with the end of your shift. Polls close at 7 p.m., so if you usually leave work at 6 p.m., you could potentially leave early.
Here’s the key though, the law says employees must request paid time off before Election Day. It also says employers can specify when workers can take time off. Employers who violate the law are guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor, punishable by fines and up to four months in jail.
