Can an employee lose pay for obtaining time off to vote under the Canada Elections Act?
No. Employers cannot impose a penalty or deduct pay from an employee for the time off the employer is required to provide for voting. An employee must be paid what he or she would have earned during the time allowed off for voting. Is there a penalty for employers who do not allow time off for voting in accordance with the law? Yes. It is an offence for employers to fail to provide time off for voting if required under the Canada Elections Act. It is also an offence for an employer to reduce an employees pay where the employee has been provided time off to vote in accordance with the Act. The maximum penalty for violating these prohibitions is a fine of up to $1,000, three months imprisonment, or both. It is also an offence for an employer to use intimidation, undue influence, or any other means to interfere with the granting of time off to vote under the Canada Elections Act. The maximum penalty for violating this provision is a fine of up to $5,000, five years imprisonment, or both.
