Employers Must Provide Time Off to Vote in Federal Election October 19

If you are an RN or RPN and covered by the Nurses' Bargaining Association (NBA) provincial collective agreement, you are entitled to four (4) consecutive hours free from work during the hours the polls are open to cast your vote.

If you are an LPN or not covered by the NBA provincial collective agreement you are still entitled, under the Canada Elections Act to have three (3) consecutive hours to cast your vote on election day. If your hours of work do not allow for three consecutive hours to vote, your employer must give you time off. However your employer has the right to decide when the time off will be given.

Employers cannot impose a penalty or deduct pay from an employee who is taking time off to vote, and an employee must be paid what he or she would have earned during the time off allowed for voting.