Puerto Rico’s Governor Wanda Vázquez Garced signed into law a new electoral code (Act No.58-2020) on 20 June 2020. This new electoral code establishes a two-hour employer-paid leave during the workday to vote in primaries and other electoral events.
Key details
Prior to the new law, employees were entitled to reasonable unpaid time off during a workday to vote.
The new two-hour voting leave applies to all employees who are registered voters and scheduled to work on a voting date. Affected employees have the right to vote by mail or request voting leave in order to vote in person in a voting center during early voting or on the polling or election day.
Since the two-hour window might not be enough time to vote for some employees whose workplace is far from their assigned polling place, employers should plan for a potential disturbance of business operations during voting dates.
Next steps
Employers should review their leave policies to ensure compliance with the new change.
