NEW YORK — Election Day will be a paid holiday for thousands of workers across the U.S. this year.
Some companies are closing their doors altogether on Tuesday, allowing employees to get out and vote.
November 8 will be a paid holiday for workers at General Motors, Ford Motor Company, Square, Hearst Publishing, Patagonia, mattress company Casper and digital media company Thrillist.
While there is no federal law requiring workers get time off to vote, state laws vary on what’s required. For instance, some offer paid leave for a set amount of time to vote. Others offer unpaid leave and some require workers give adequate notice before taking leave to vote.
Local laws can also regulate time off on Election Day.
A campaign started earlier this year called “Take Off Election Day” has encouraged companies to give workers time off to cast their ballots.
Ford sent out an email to workers on Thursday encouraging them to vote and telling them: “Every. Vote. Counts.”
San Francisco-based Square said it is closing for the day because it believes voting should be “inclusive, easy, and accessible”
“We’re hopeful that Election Day will soon be a national holiday,” a company spokesperson said in an email to CNNMoney.
Publishing giant Hearst is offering the day off to workers in its non-news operations — a tradition that goes back more than 100 years.
“WR Hearst, who won election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1902 and 1904, began the tradition of encouraging his employees to exercise their right to vote with a day off beginning in the early days of our company,” a company spokesman said in an email to CNNMoney. “After 129 years, we continue the tradition of our founder and on Tuesday, we will get out the vote.”
This is the first year that Thrillest will be closed on Election Day. “It has certainty raised more awareness within our employees that voting is really important,” said Marjorie Ajero, vice president of Human Resources. “I think a lot of employees are proud we have the day off.”
Outdoor clothing company Patagonia is closing all its retail stores, its headquarters in California and distribution center in Nevada to allow all U.S. workers to get out and vote and volunteer.
Signs in store windows on Tuesday will explain the closure, and online shoppers will get a note encouraging them to vote and let them know they can still place orders, but they won’t be filled until the next day.
“As a business, we have a unique ability to take a stand and choose to prioritize the health of the planet over profit, and I think it’s important we take that opportunity when it truly matters,” said Patagonia CEO Rose Marcario in a statement posted last month.
Other companies are remaining open, but will be more flexible with their paid leave to allow adequate time to vote.
Organizing app Evernote will have a “meeting free morning” on Election Day to give workers time to vote, and TaskRabbit is giving workers two hours of paid leave to vote.
Food delivery company DoorDash is giving its 250 full-time workers, “as much time off as they need to go and vote,” according to company spokesman Eitan Bencuya. That means workers could take an hour off or the entire day off if they want to volunteer at the polls.
“People have been excited about it. Obviously this election is an important one and something a lot of people are thinking about,” said Bencuya. “People want to participate in the democratic process and make their voices heard.”
