For Immediate Release
Need Time Off to Vote? Harassed Due to Your Political Views? Workplace Fairness Provides Information on Voting Rights and Political Discrimination
SILVER SPRING, Md. (Nov. 2, 2017) – Several states and municipalities have elections coming up next week, including Virginia and New Jersey. Workers will have questions about taking time off to vote and what to do if they face discrimination on the basis of their political views. Although political speech and activity (especially in private sector employment) is not well protected by anti-retaliation laws, in some states workers can fight this type of discrimination.
To keep the public informed about voting rights and political discrimination, Workplace Fairness provides information on state laws for voting rights and state laws on retaliation for political activity.
Our Time off to Vote page provides information about state laws on getting time off work to vote. There is an easy-to-read chart displaying the laws for each state. WF provides helpful answers to many frequently asked questions and common scenarios for anyone who wants to learn more about voting rights, such as:
- I'm scheduled to work on Election Day. Do I have the right to take time off from work to vote?
- I want to volunteer or work at the polls on Election Day. Can my employer stop me from doing that?
- Is my employer required to post a notice about employees' right to vote?
- What happens if I am denied the right to vote because my employer broke the law?
On our Retaliation-Political Activity page, we educate about individual rights when it comes to political speech and activity in the workplace. We share valuable information on the legal consequences of political speech and action in workplaces with frequently asked questions and offer examples for how to deal with real life scenarios, such as:
- Is it illegal for my employer to retaliate against me for my political activities in support of a candidate?
- What types of activity are covered by laws against retaliation on the basis of political activity or affiliation?
- I would like to attend a political rally during my lunch period. Can I be disciplined or fired for going to a rally?
- My coworker is always stopping employees at work to solicit political donations. Is she allowed to do this?
For those interested in finding out more about workplace rights and other related news stories, sign up for our E-Newsletter. The newsletter includes stories covered in Today’s Workplace Blog and In the News sections of the website. Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn. Like our Facebook page to find out more about workplace news.
For more information on a multitude of topics relating to workplace rights, laws and legislation, take a look at our website, filled with over 400 pages of substantive legal information at www.workplacefairness.org.
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About Workplace Fairness
Workplace Fairness is a nonprofit organization that provides information, education and assistance to individual workers and their advocates nationwide and promotes public policies that advance employee rights.
Our goals are that workers and their advocates are educated about workplace rights and options for resolving workplace problems and those policymakers, members of the business community and the public at large view the fair treatment of workers as both good business practice and sound public policy.
Workplace Fairness works toward these goals by:
- Making comprehensive information about workers' rights – free of legal jargon – readily available to workers and to advocates and organizations that assist workers;
- Providing resources to support the work of legal services organizations, community-based organizations, law schools and private attorneys that provide free legal information and services to low-income workers;
- Presenting the employee perspective in publications, policy debates & public discussion.
Media Contact
Paula Brantner
Senior Advisor
240-772-1205
paula@workplacefairness.org
www.workplacefairness.org