AppleInsider Staff
Apple is offering retail and hourly employees time off to vote in the U.S. election in November, according to a report on Friday.
Apple SVP of retail and staff Deidre O'Brien announced the policy in a memo circulated this week, reports Bloomberg.
"For retail team members and hourly workers across the company, if you're scheduled to work this Election Day, we'll be providing up to four hours of paid time off if you need it to get to the polls," O'Brien said. "If they choose, our teams can also use this time to volunteer as an election worker at one of your local polling stations."
The company is allowing up to four hours of paid leave on Election Day, which falls on Nov. 3.
Apple joins a number of major tech companies including Lyft, Twitter and Uber to offer employees time off to vote. Like previous election seasons, big firms from a variety of U.S. industries are allowing workers to take time off to cast their ballots.
William Gallagher
Malcolm Owen
Andrew Orr
Amber Neely
21 Comments
This is great, but it shouldn't be up to companies to allow time off for voting. It's unfortunate that even 4 hours isn't enough time with how corrupt politicians have gerrymandered and hindered certain voting districts to limit voters who may vote against them.
Paid time off to vote has been in place at all five organizations I’ve worked at since grad school. I’m amazed this is something new (and now newsworthy) for the most valuable public company in the world.
====
You don't know that it is new.
Everyone should be given paid time off for the most important civic duty in a country that provides the freedom for our voices to be heard - as well as the freedoms for our workplaces to exist and operate the way they do.
Such freedoms are always in danger from those who think there know Brest for everyone.
Vote!