HR Partners
Paid Time Off for Poll Workers
News from October 20, 2020
A nationwide effort is underway to recruit poll workers for Election Day, Tuesday, November 3, 2020. There has been a shortage of poll workers this election season as many have decided not to volunteer due to COVID-19 concerns.
In a one-time initiative, Penn is offering administrative time off to regular staff members who serve as nonpartisan, certified polling place workers on Election Day. To serve as a polling place worker, you must have an active voter registration, receive advance preparation and training, and commit to 15 hours of work on Election Day.
If you would like to take advantage of this one-time initiative, you must use the Request Time Off process in Workday before Friday, October 30. The type of time off requested should be “Jury Duty Time Off.” Staff members who intend to participate in the program should obtain supervisory approval in advance and be prepared to verify their service to their supervisors.
Staff members who intend to serve in other nonpartisan volunteer positions, in paid or volunteer partisan positions, or as campaign workers, early-voting processors, mail-in ballot counters, polling place watchers, or Ward/Committee assignees should arrange for the use of Paid Time Off in the usual way.
Penn is committed to helping staff fulfill the important civic duty of serving as a poll worker without change in status or loss of pay. We encourage supervisors to also extend flexibility to staff in order to allow time to vote on Election Day. In Pennsylvania, polling places open at 7 a.m. and lines close at 8 p.m.
If you have any questions about paid time off for poll workers, please contact Jeff Rowland at jrow@upenn.edu.
In a one-time initiative, Penn is offering administrative time off to regular staff members who serve as nonpartisan, certified polling place workers on Election Day. To serve as a polling place worker, you must have an active voter registration, receive advance preparation and training, and commit to 15 hours of work on Election Day.
If you would like to take advantage of this one-time initiative, you must use the Request Time Off process in Workday before Friday, October 30. The type of time off requested should be “Jury Duty Time Off.” Staff members who intend to participate in the program should obtain supervisory approval in advance and be prepared to verify their service to their supervisors.
Staff members who intend to serve in other nonpartisan volunteer positions, in paid or volunteer partisan positions, or as campaign workers, early-voting processors, mail-in ballot counters, polling place watchers, or Ward/Committee assignees should arrange for the use of Paid Time Off in the usual way.
Penn is committed to helping staff fulfill the important civic duty of serving as a poll worker without change in status or loss of pay. We encourage supervisors to also extend flexibility to staff in order to allow time to vote on Election Day. In Pennsylvania, polling places open at 7 a.m. and lines close at 8 p.m.
If you have any questions about paid time off for poll workers, please contact Jeff Rowland at jrow@upenn.edu.