Get paid time off to vote – in TN, your employer has to give it to you

There was a good post on LifeHacker this morning about state laws that require employers to give employees paid time off to vote.  I followed the link to discover the rules for Tennessee:  Unless you start work 3 hours after the polls open, or finish work 3 hours before the polls close, your employer is required to give you “reasonable time” to vote, not to exceed 3 hours, the day of the election.  Your employer has to pay you for this time.

The voting hours are 7 AM to 7 PM in Shelby County, so unless you start work after 10 or leave by 4, you have a right to ask for paid time off to vote on November 4.

According to the law, you have to submit your request by noon November 3, and your employer has the right to choose which hours to give you.

You can find a complete state-by-state breakdown here.