Provincial Election – Saturday, October 19, 2024
8 AM to 8 PM
The Provincial Election is scheduled to take place on Saturday, October 19, 2024. In British Columbia, the polls will be open for voting from 8 AM to 8 PM (Pacific Time Zone). Note the Chief Electoral Officer may change these times so please keep apprised of the voting time.
For your information, the Provincial Elections Act provides that every employee who is qualified to vote is entitled to four (4) consecutive hours, between the opening and closing of the Polls, in which to cast their vote. Assuming existing voting times do not change, employees scheduled to commence work after 12:00 noon or finish work by 4 PM will require no extra time off voting.
However, employees eligible to vote and who commence work during the Day Shift at 8 AM should be released at 4 PM in order to meet the time requirement of four (4) consecutive hours off prior to the 8 PM closing of the Polls. The Provincial Elections Act confirms that the employee may be scheduled ‘at a time scheduled by the employer’. Therefore, it is up to the Employer’s discretion when to provide the four (4) consecutive hours for voting.
The Elections Act is also clear that the employers may not make a deduction from the wages of an employee or impose a penalty on an employee for the time he or she is allowed for voting. Therefore, if you have to release certain employees from work, for the purpose outlined above, they should be paid as if they worked the full shift.
The above was provided by the BCMEA on October 8, 2024 to all members. See bulletin below.