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Lab policy allows time off to vote in today's general election

Laboratory policy and state law allows Lab workers up to two hours to vote in the nationwide general election today.

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 policy for voting time off. Administrative Manual policy AM 322 is available at http://int.lanl.gov/source/policies/manual/admin/am322.pdf online (Adobe Acrobat Reader required).

Voters statewide also will be casting ballots for a number of local, state and national elective offices, as well as numerous general obligation bond and constitutional amendment questions.

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-SR) 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 HR-SR at 7-8730.

--Steve Sandoval

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