Voting Rights and Political Discrimination

The elections this week will have significant ramifications at both the congressional and municipal levels. Voters have questions about taking time off to vote and what to do if they face discrimination on the basis of their political views. Although political speech and activity (especially in private sector employment) are not always well protected by anti-retaliation laws, workers often have recourse to fight this type of discrimination.

To keep the public informed about voting rights and political discrimination, Workplace Fairness provides information on state laws www.workplacefairness.org/voting-rights-time-off-work for voting rights and state laws https://www.workplacefairness.org/retaliation-political-activity-state-laws on retaliation for political activity.

Workplace Fairness provides helpful answers to 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 at https://www.workplacefairness.org/retaliation-political-activity, Workplace Fairness discusses individual rights when it comes to political speech and activity in the workplace and the legal consequences of political speech and action in workplaces. The site uses real-life scenarios as examples:

• 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 the E-Newsletter.

For more information on topics relating to workplace rights, laws and legislation, visit www.workplacefairness.org.

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.