Ventura-based Patagonia has given employees Election Day off in the United States since 2016. In 2018, it launched Time to Vote with Levi Strauss & Co. and PayPal - which now includes more than 2,000 companies that have pledged that workers won’t have to choose between voting and earning a paycheck.
This year, the outdoor apparel company - with more than 2,000 employees in the U.S. - will close its stores, warehouse and offices on Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, which is national Vote Early Day. Employees will receive a paid day off and have the entire day to vote early and volunteer.
The company is calling it Vote Early and Volunteer Day, explained J.J. Huggins from Patagonia.
Huggins says that enabling employees can vote – and encourage others to vote – is a priority.
"If we want to save our planet from the climate and nature crisis, we must elect leaders who share our sense of urgency. Being able to participate in the democratic process creates the foundation for progress on every issue our company cares about," he said.
