By Kathryn Mayer
There is no federal law requiring voting leave—but a growing number of employers are offering paid time off so that employees can cast their ballots.
Roughly 2,020 companies have pledged to give employees at least a few hours off to vote through Time to Vote, a business-led, nonpartisan coalition that aims to increase voter participation in the U.S. elections. It was launched in 2018 by Patagonia, PayPal, and Levi Strauss & Co.
“Workers shouldn’t have to choose between earning a paycheck and voting,” according to the site, which lists Bank of America, Coca-Cola, Etsy, SAP, and Visa among the companies that are part of the initiative.
While federal law does not require employers to give employees time off to vote, a number of states and some local ordinances mandate voting leave time, especially when an employee’s work hours do not permit sufficient time to vote during poll hours. Meanwhile, according to the 2024 SHRM Employee Benefits Survey, half of employers said they offer paid time off to vote.
This year, Ikea is, for the first time, giving its workers two hours of paid time off to vote, the furniture retailer told SHRM. In U.S. states that require paid voting leave, Ikea will continue to follow the law but will also offer the paid leave in states where there is no required paid leave. The benefit applies to those who work more than 20 hours a week.
Neena Potenza, country people and culture manager at Ikea U.S., said the benefit is an important way to encourage employees to participate in the electoral process.
“The right to vote is fundamental to democracy, and at Ikea we believe that our co-workers are best able to serve the communities they live and work in when their voices are heard,” she said, adding that the company has received positive feedback from workers about the new voting initiative. “By supporting co-workers’ right to vote, we aim not only to help strengthen our democracy, but also to create a more engaged and empowered workforce.”
Over the years, there have been growing calls to ensure that U.S. citizens have time off to vote. In fact, a survey from the Pew Research Center earlier this year found that 72% of U.S. citizens supported making Election Day a national holiday—an increase from the 65% who said so in 2018.
In addition to helping employees make their voices heard, making sure employees have time off to vote—and are encouraged to use it—is important because it gives employees a way to deal with feelings of uncertainty and anxiety surrounding the election, said Lindsay Oberleitner, director of clinical strategy at SimplePractice, a management tool for health and wellness professionals. A recent survey of 1,052 U.S. employees by mental health provider LifeStance Health found that the vast majority (79%) said the upcoming U.S. presidential election has caused them anxiety this year, with 21% saying it has caused them significant anxiety.
“Voting can give a sense of control, and that increased sense of control and sense of participation may help ameliorate stress that surrounds feelings of unease with upcoming changes from the election,” Oberleitner said.
