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Patagonia: Employees get paid day off to vote early and volunteer


Patagonia: Employees get paid day off to vote early and volunteer

Outdoor clothing maker Patagonia announced Monday that it is closing its stores and giving all of its U.S. employees paid leave on Oct. 29 so they can cast their votes early.

The company has been giving its employees the day off on Election Day since 2016 and is now one of the first major companies to offer National Vote Early Day off.

Patagonia announced that the new paid holiday will be called “Voting Early and Volunteer Day” to encourage the thousands of employees in its retail stores, warehouses and offices to give back to their communities.

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The company is working with the League of Conservation Voters to give its employees the opportunity to volunteer to get people out to vote, including door-to-door campaigning, letter writing, texting and more.

Citing democracy experts on both sides, the company said early voting could help avoid long lines and provide enough time to resolve any registration issues.

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“Voting is a priority for Patagonia because democratic participation lays the foundation for progress on all the issues we care about,” said Corley Kenna, Patagonia’s vice president of communications and public policy, in a statement.

Many states require paid leave for voters on Election Day, but none require it for early voting. There is no federal law requiring employers to provide time off for voting, although legislators have repeatedly tried to pass such legislation.

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