Old Navy will pay employees to be poll workers on Election Day

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Tuesday, September 1, 2020
Old Navy plans to open 800 stores
Old Navy plans to open 800 stores: as seen on 6abc Action News Mornings, September 13, 2019.

Old Navy will reward its employees who head to the polls to work as election judges this November with a full day of pay.

The San Francisco-based company, which employs more than 50,000 people, said Tuesday that it will pay out eight hours to its employees on top of what election judges normally earn from local election boards.

"We are constantly inspired by our store teams, with their passion for community work and fostering a sense of belonging both in and outside of our store walls. Every voice in this country matters and deserves to be heard at the polls, and if we at Old Navy can be even a small part of making that process more accessible to the communities we call home, we are on board," Old Navy executive Nancy Green said in a news release.

The Gap-owned brand's announcement on Tuesday coincided with National Poll Worker Recruitment Day. Old Navy said it's part of a broader partnership with Civic Alliance and Power the Polls aimed at recruiting 250,000 poll workers.

A growing number of U.S. companies have pledged to give workers time off to vote in the election, an effort that's gaining steam despite the government's reluctance to make Election Day a federal holiday.

Starbucks said Thursday it will give its 200,000 U.S. employees flexibility on Election Day, encouraging them to plan ahead with managers and schedule time to vote or volunteer at polling places. The Starbucks app will also help customers learn how to register to vote, the company said.

Walmart says it will give its 1.5 million U.S. workers up to three hours paid time off to vote. Apple is giving workers four hours off. Coca-Cola, Twitter, Cisco and Uber are giving employees the day off.

"No American should have to choose between earning a paycheck and voting," said PayPal President and CEO Dan Schulman.

SEE ALSO: Trump says he's blocking additional postal service funding to stop mail-in ballots

President Trump comments on his intensifying his efforts to block mail-in voting during a press conference on Aug. 13, 2020, at the White House.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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