You will be redirected in 15 seconds, or continue now.

Bellhops for Obama! Morgans Hotel Staff Checks Out With Full Pay on Election Day

View Story On One Page

Print This Story

Share This Story

By Chris Shott

November 4, 2008 | 1:55 p.m

A New York City bellhop.

+Enlarge

Getty Images

Over lunch at Brasserie 44 last week, Fred Kleisner, CEO of Morgans Hotel Group, pledged to encourage his nearly 6,000 employees at the Royalton, Hudson and other boutique properties around the country to vote on election day.

"In a very nonpartisan way," insisted Mr. Kleisner, who was, nonetheless, proudly sporting his "Obama '08" bracelet.

He even promised to compensate workers for their time spent at the polls.

Sure enough, on Monday afternoon, Mr. Kleisner followed through with a seemingly unbiased e-mail directive to supervisors:

We are a creative, engaged and dynamic workforce here at Morgans and we support everyone’s right to vote. November 4th will be a momentous day in the history of our country and possibly for the world. We’d like to encourage everyone at Morgans to extend that creativity and dynamic energy all the way to the voting booth....

As such, we will allow two hours of paid time off to registered voters who are voting on Tuesday.

Employees at the company's famous Delano property in Miami will further receive an additional two hours of paid time off to go vote. They'll probably need it.