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Members of the Boston College for Corporate Citizenship are invited to discuss these issues with CSR peers in our upcoming on Thurs Oct 28 @ 3pm ET.

In this presidential election year, many companies with U.S. operations are encouraging civic engagement among employees and local communities in ways that are both thoughtful and non-partisan.

The resurgence of corporate 鈥済et out the vote鈥� campaigns are reflective of a society that is increasingly urging companies to take a more active role in public policy and issues鈥攕ometimes to the point of , or even in the political arena. In fact, our recent finds that most report that their corporate leaders (e.g., the CEO) have taken stands on environmental and social issues. Among those whose leaders have taken public stands, support for doing so is higher鈥攕uggesting that those who have experienced corporate engagement with public policy see the benefits of doing so.

While not all industries are able to engage directly with political issues, certainly all recognize the importance of voter participation. In our online member community, we have seen lively discussion and questions posed on this topic: Are companies giving paid time off to vote or work the polls, and if so, how much? Is your company partnering with nonprofits working to increase voter participation? Does your company culture support open dialogue about civic engagement?

We can鈥檛 definitively answer all of these questions for every company, but in the previous few months, we鈥檝e seen firms in our member network take the following meaningful actions to encourage civic engagement and voting this election cycle鈥攁mong employees and in local communities:

Giving employees time off to vote.

More than 1,500 companies that have signed on to the movement, a non-partisan coalition of companies that have committed to ensure that their employees had a work schedule that allows them time to vote this year. on the list of CEO signatories.

Encouraging people to become poll workers.

Some employers are going a step further and giving employees information and time off to work the polls, in this year when state and local officials are expecting a due to COVID-19 fears. is among a coalition of companies that has pledged to pay store employees who serve as poll workers for eight hours of work. Microsoft, MLB, Wayfair, and ViacomCBS are all partnering with to actively recruit local polling workers in communities.

Committing to a 鈥済et out the vote鈥� pledge.

Many companies are putting their sponsorship dollars and marketing expertise toward non-partisan 鈥済et out the vote鈥� coalitions and commitments. comprises of more than 750 companies鈥攊ncluding adidas, Fannie Mae, and General Motors鈥攖hat have committed to specific vote-friendly policies among employees, including time off for Election Day and a target of 100% employee registration. Similarly, has brought together a coalition of companies鈥攊ncluding AllianceBernstein, Dow, MLB, Target, ViacomCBS, and Wayfair鈥攃ommitted to a "100% in for democracy" pledge to encouraging total company participation in paid time off for voting, voter registration, get out the vote efforts on social media, and other targets.

Providing resources to make it easier to vote.

Voting is complicated, compounded by this year鈥檚 pandemic which has broadened voters鈥� options in the U.S. elections. As a result, several companies鈥攕uch as , , and 鈥攈ave created online voting hubs to ensure employees have access to information and resources about all their voting options. From a community perspective, ViacomCBS, has taken a leadership role as a premier partner alongside (Saturday, October 24), a collaboration to help all eligible voters learn about their early voting options and celebrate the act of voting early.

Is your company taking any of these actions? Are there different efforts in which you are involved? Members of the Boston College for Corporate Citizenship are invited to discuss these issues with CSR peers in our upcoming on Thurs Oct 28 @ 3pm ET.