Workplace Fairness

Workplace Fairness Provides Information on Voting Rights and Political Discrimination

Organization has facts and resources on voting rights and political discrimination for employees, employers, employment lawyers and workplace equality advocates

SILVER SPRING, Md. (April 5, 2016) – With the primary season in full swing, millions of Americans are scheduled to vote in the next several months leading up to the November 8 presidential election. The April and May primaries will include 17 more states on the decision of electing the current presidential candidates. 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. Political speech and activity (especially in private sector employment) is not well protected by anti-retaliation laws, but in some states workers can fight this type of discrimination. In order to keep the public informed on voting rights and political discrimination, Workplace Fairness provides information on state laws for voting rights and political discrimination/retaliation.

Our State Laws for Voting Rights page provides information on state-specific laws on voting and working rights with access to a chart including state laws pertaining to voter’s rights. 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 politically speaking and acting out in workplaces through answering frequently asked questions and creating solutions to realistic 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 informationat 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.

The award-winning Workplace Fairness website, www.workplacefairness.org, has newly updated information throughout the site, as part of the Web's most comprehensive resource educating workers about their legal rights in the workplace.

Media Contact: 
Paula Brantner
Executive Director
240-772-1205
paula@workplacefairness.org
www.workplacefairness.org