Dear Clients and Friends,
Ahead of the elections for the 26th Knesset, scheduled to take place on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, we have compiled the key guidelines employers should be aware of.
Under Section 10 of Basic Law: The Knesset, Election Day is a statutory day off, but essential services continue to operate as usual.
May employees be required to work on Election Day, and is their consent Required?
Yes, subject to the following rules.
- Employers falling within the list of essential public services that continue to operate as usual or subject to certain restrictions on Election Day may require their employees to work on that day. These services are listed below:
- Employees of the Central Elections Committee, persons performing duties for it or providing services to it, and, solely for Election Day purposes, employees of political parties and persons performing duties for them or providing services to them.
- Transportation services, parking facilities and petrol stations.
- Eateries and restaurants, cafés and kiosks, hotels and guesthouses.
- Industrial and agricultural facilities with continuous production processes.
- Communications services.
- Water and electricity facilities.
- Fuel supply and transportation.
- Theatres, cinemas and other entertainment venues.
- The press, radio and television.
- Transportation of bread, fruit, vegetables and dairy products on Election Day until 11:00 a.m.
- Food stores, between 6:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. (up to eight hours).
- Bread baking and dairy production.
- Hospitals and other healthcare services that operate under special arrangements on Saturdays and holidays will operate under the same arrangements on Election Day.
- Security forces and rescue services of all types.
- Burial services.
- The court system, for hearings concerning urgent relief and urgent detention matters.
- Other services that operate under special arrangements on Saturdays and holidays will operate under the same arrangements on Election Day.
- Other employers, whose activities do not fall within the services listed above, may employ employees on Election Day subject to the employee’s consent, which should preferably be documented in writing.
- In all cases where an employee works on Election Day, the employee must be allowed to leave the workplace to reach the polling station during its opening hours and vote.
What are the hours of the statutory day off?
The Elections Law provides that polling stations are open between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. Accordingly, in the absence of an express statutory provision to the contrary, these hours are generally and customarily regarded as the hours of the statutory day off. In small localities with up to 350 voters, polling stations are open from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Further details are available here
Who is entitled to pay even if they do not work on Election Day?
An employee who is an Israeli citizen and has worked for the same employer for at least 14 consecutive days immediately preceding Election Day is entitled to the wages that would have been paid had it not been a statutory day off.
Different provisions apply to employees employed at public institutions.
What should employees who actually work on Election Day be paid?
- An employee who is not an Israeli citizen and is employed in the caregiving sector by an individual, or in the hotels, food service, construction, agricultural or industrial sector, is entitled to their regular wages for the work performed.
- With respect to an employee who is an Israeli citizen, the Elections Law does not expressly prescribe the rate of pay for work actually performed on Election Day, and there is no binding ruling of the National Labour Court on this matter.
In accordance with the customary practice described in previous election campaigns, supported by Regional Labour Court rulings and interpretations and notices published on this matter by the Commissioner of Labour Relations at the Ministry of Labour, the customary practice is to pay employees working on Election Day 200% of their regular wages, or to pay their regular wages and, in addition, grant paid time off equivalent to the hours actually worked on Election Day.
Naturally, a higher payment may be agreed upon with the employee.
How should employers prepare in advance?
- Check whether the workplace’s activities fall within the list of services that will operate on Election Day, and ascertain the applicable hours and conditions.
- Document employees’ consent to work in advance where such consent is required, as well as the compensation arrangements.
- Plan shifts so that employees who are eligible to vote can do so.
- Check employees’ entitlement to pay and the arrangements applicable at the workplace, and provide appropriate instructions to the payroll team.
- In all cases, check whether any collective agreement, extension order or individual employment contract applicable at the workplace provides additional or more favourable rights, and act accordingly.
This memorandum is provided for general information purposes only and should not be relied upon in any individual case without obtaining further legal advice.
Labour and Employment Department
Shibolet & Co.
