Employer Obligations During Provincial Elections

A provincial election has been called in British Columbia.

This bulletin provides a brief overview of employer obligations to employees during advanced voting and on the final voting day.

Here are the key dates:

• Advanced voting days: October 10, 11, 12, 13, 15 and 16, 2024
• Final voting day: October 19, 2024

All employees who are eligible voters are entitled to up to four (4) consecutive hours off work:

• while polls are open on the final voting day for the purpose of casting their ballot
• while polls are open during advanced voting if:
  • the employee’s schedule on the final voting day would not allow for four (4) consecutive hours off work while the polls are open
    and
  • the employee is willing to vote in advanced voting

Important:

• An eligible voter is a Canadian citizen who will be at least 18 years of age on the final voting day and has been a resident of B.C. since April 18, 2024.
• Employees are entitled to up to four (4) consecutive hours free from work during voting hours. This is not an employer obligation to provide four (4) consecutive hours free from work generally.

Employees who take time off work for the purpose of casting their ballot are entitled to do so without loss of pay. An employer is not permitted to make any deduction from an employee’s pay because the employee took time off work to vote.