VOTING TIME REMINDER

Excused absence for time to vote is covered under our National Agreement between AFGE and SSA. Article 31, Section 3 states:

“The Employer will excuse employees for a reasonable time, without seriously interfering with operations, to vote or register in any election or referendum on a civic matter in his/her community. An employee will be excused from duty so as to permit him/her to report for work 3 hours before the polls open or to leave work 3 hours before the polls close, whichever amounts in the lesser amount of time. Under unusual circumstances, an employee can be excused up to the full day. The Employer will notify employees annually of this right at the beginning of each fiscal year and shall encourage employees to avail themselves of the right to register and vote.”

The amount of time you get is based on the time your arrive at work.

• If your tour is 8:00-4:30 you would have 2 hours to vote from (6 a.m. – 8 a.m.) and 2 ½ hours from

(4:30 – 7:00), employee could be excused for 30 minutes at the end of the day for the purpose of voting.

• If your tour is 9:00-5:30, since the polls were open 3 hours before the beginning of workday, no absence for voting should be granted.

• If you work a compressed work schedule (5-4-9), with a tour from 7:30-5:00. You have 1-½ hours from (6 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.), and 2 hours from (5:00 – 7:00 p.m.). The employee could be excused for one hour for the purpose of voting.