Lab policy allows time off to vote in Tuesday's local government election

Laboratory policy and state law allows Lab workers up to two hours to vote in the mayoral and council elections on Tuesday.

Residents in Española, Santa Fe and other local communities will cast ballots for mayor and city council positions on Tuesday. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Employees whose regular workday begins before 9 a.m. or ends at or after 4 p.m. are eligible to take up to two hours to vote. Administrative Manual policy AM 322.18 to 322.20 details the voting time policy. It is available online at on the Human Resources (HR) Division's World Wide Web page at http://admin-manual.lanl.gov online.

Laboratory policy states that time off with pay to vote is granted for the time necessary to vote but can't exceed two hours regardless of where the employee lives. Supervisors can specify the hours employees are excused to vote, but supervisors can't include employees' regular lunch period or periods outside an employee's normal working hours as part of the two-hour period.

Staff Relations (HR-9) provided the following examples to assist employees and managers in determining if employees are eligible to receive voting time:

• An employee who isn't scheduled to work on election day isn't eligible for time off to vote.
• An employee who normally works from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. isn't allowed voting time under the policy, because the employee's workday ends before 4 p.m.
• An employee who normally works from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. is entitled to voting time off because the employee's workday ends at or after 4 p.m.
• An employee who works from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday also is entitled to voting time off because the workday ends after 4 p.m.
  

Time and effort reporting personnel should record the time off for voting as "VT" for both exempt and nonexempt employees.

For more information about the Lab's voting-time policy call 7-8730.

--Steve Sandoval

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