The University has an obligation to staff and faculty who will be working or have teaching commitments on Monday, May 2, while voting is underway for the Federal election.
Voting is scheduled on Monday, May 2, from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.
UBC staff and faculty who are registered voters and who are scheduled to work or have teaching commitments that day are entitled, under the Canada Elections Act, to three consecutive hours in which to vote. For some, scheduled working hours may overlap with voting hours.
For staff members
UBC staff scheduled to start work later than 10 a.m., or to finish work by 4 p.m., will not need extra time off to vote.
Staff scheduled to work from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or on other schedules, may have fewer than three hours of personal time before the start or end of the day in order to vote. These staff members may require one half or more hours of paid time off, at the beginning or end of the May 2 workday, to add to their personal time in order to have three consecutive hours in which to vote.
If staff request paid time off in order to have three consecutive hours of personal time to vote, they must be allowed enough paid time away from work to ensure they have a full three hours in which to cast ballots.
The Act confirms that the time off may be scheduled when convenient for the employer, so it is up to the employer to determine whether an employee is permitted a late start or an early finish.
For faculty members
Faculty members will make the necessary adjustments to what has been scheduled for that day in order to allow them time for voting. However, it is expected that all classes will proceed as scheduled.
Alternatives
For those staff and faculty interested in advanced voting, the dates are as follows:
- Friday, April 22,
- Saturday, April 23,
- Monday April 25.
Mail‐in voting is also an option and details can be found on the Elections Canada website (www.elections.ca)
Additional Resources
Elections Act: http://laws.justice.gc.ca/eng
