Operations

&Pizza urging employees to vote, offering PTO on Nov 3

Provided

June 12, 2020

In an effort to encourage its employees and communities to vote in this year's presidential election, &pizza won't open locations on Nov. 3. CEO Michael Lastoria said employees will receive full PTO as he considers it a federal holiday.

"&pizza employs over 700 people across several states, and we want to make sure they have our support alongside the necessary resources to enact the change they want to see in the 2020 election," he said in a company press release. "Our democracy has been pushed to its limits, and we want to empower and educate our workforce to assert their voice at the polls. With the industry's help, we can provide a much larger opportunity to do what's right, and what's needed in this country for this election and moving forward."

Having provided PTO to vote in 2016 and 2018, &pizza is taking things a step further this year by closing their shops in totality. After learning from the complicated coordination needed when juggling multiple requests for time off across several locations, cities, and states, Lastoria is determined to create as frictionless an experience as possible by removing work-related impediments and closing shop operations for the day.

Despite the fact that 71% of Democrats and 59% of Republicans support making Election Day a federal holiday, it is not listed amongst US official PTO days. Because of this, &pizza is also petitioning other restaurants to do the same in order to establish a private holiday amongst the industry and allow their workers the opportunity to cast their votes.

The limited-service restaurant industry was one of the few segments that could continue business during the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns, and some even profited from the crisis, Lastoria said, which is why he views it as the duty of these brands to show their gratitude for employees who helped maintain their businesses at great risk to themselves.

PTO on Election Day will be offered on top of the existing PTO employees receive, and in addition to the three days of PTO offered to employees participating in the activism of their choosing.