Paid time off, free fries: How Corporate America is urging people to vote
Companies say they are galvanized by recent upheavals that have put issues at centre stage
Bank of America is offering employees up to three hours of paid time to vote this year. Shake Shack is giving away free French fries to customers who vote early. The spirits company Diageo North America has declared a no meeting day November 3. Best Buy is closing stores until noon that day, and PayPal is offering a paid half day to workers who volunteer at polling places.
A civic awakening
Less than two weeks before the general election, corporate America is having a civic awakening, with thousands of companies encouraging voter participation by offering their workers paid time off, voter education tools and interactive sessions on how elections work. Some are even providing marketing and free legal advice to local election boards or nonprofit get- out- the- vote groups.
“Companies can’t do everything, but we can function in civil society in a way that really helps to encourage and enable civic participation,” said Franz Paasche, head of corporate affairs at PayPal, where the efforts have varied from paid time off to hosting a speaker series on elections.
Most companies are quick to say that their goal isn’t to wade into politics or get any particular candidate into office. Rather, many executives say that they were galvanised by recent upheavals that have put issues of race and gender discrimination, economic inequality, climate change and other topics at centre stage for employees and customers, and voting is a way to take a stand.
Best Buy is closing stores until noon, and PayPal is offering a paid half day to workers who volunteer at polling places.