Lake Forest company gives employees Election Day off work to vote or volunteer

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (WLS) -- Some local businesses are closing on Election Day to give employees the day off to vote, or to volunteer at the polls.

Most of the hundreds of employees at Horizon Therapeutics based in Lake Forest are working from home. Management noticed during the pandemic that employees were not taking much time off. So for Election Day, it's a day off for everyone.

"It makes good business sense because it's the right thing to do," said Irina Konstantinovsky, Exec. VP & Chief Human Resources Officer at Horizon Therapeutics.

Konstantinovsky said the biopharmaceutical company had always urged employees to vote, but for the first time, they are offering the day to employees to vote and volunteer.

"There is a connection between voting and public health and who we chose to represent us determines how our country prioritizes and allocates resources for services," Konstantinovsky said.

For Konstantinovsky, this is personal. She grew up in Argentina and saw what happened when citizens did not have freedom of expression and input in government.

"I remember growing up ...suffering through censorship and brutality," Konstantinovsky said. "I do not take this process for granted and I welcome the opportunity to vote."

Horizon is just one company making Election Day paid time off for employees. Other businesses will do the same. After all, in Illinois, Election Day is now an official holiday.