On December 6, 2022, Vermont Governor Phil Scott announced that the state will launch a voluntary paid family and medical leave program that will provide workers in the state with such leave insurance by 2025. With the move, Vermont joins its neighbor New Hampshire as the second state with such
Articles About Vermont Labor And Employment Law.
Vermont Governor Announces Family and Medical Leave Insurance Plan
Vermont will join its neighboring state New Hampshire in implementing a voluntary paid family and medical leave insurance program.
Read more here.
Second Circuit Limits Scope of Injunction on Public Charge Rule to Connecticut, New York, and Vermont
On August 12, 2020, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit limited the scope of a nationwide injunction that had blocked the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) from implementing and enforcing the Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds final rule
Public Charge Rule Update: Court Limits Nationwide Injunction to Connecticut, New York, Vermont
On August 12, 2020, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit limited the nationwide injunction on the Department of Homeland Security’s Public Charge Rule to three states: Connecticut, New York, and Vermont.
Since August 14, 2019, exactly one year ago today, when DHS published the final version of
Vermont Updates its Data Breach Notification Law
As the COVID-19 pandemic presses on, privacy and security matters continue to be at the forefront for federal and state legislature. We recently reported that Washington D.C. updated its data breach notification law. Now, the Vermont legislature also amended its data breach notification law, with significant overhauls including expansion of
Vermont Court Finds Patient Can Sue Hospital and an Employee for Breach of Confidentiality
In a landmark ruling, the Vermont Supreme Court recently held that a patient had standing to sue both the hospital at which she was a patient and the employee who attended to her, for negligent disclosure of her personal health information to a third-party. Neither the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) nor Vermont law provide for a private cause of action for damages arising from a medical provider’s disclosure of information obtained during treatment.
Vermont Passes Law Aimed at Sexual Harassment Prevention
Vermont’s “An act relating to the prevention of sexual harassment” makes numerous changes to state law related to sexual harassment. The act provides expansive protections for both current and prospective employees and creates new restrictions and obligations for employers. The changes go into effect on July 1, 2018.
What Vermont’s Legalization of Recreational Marijuana Means for Employers
Vermont’s recreational marijuana law, which goes into effect on July 1, 2018, lifts penalties for individuals possessing limited amounts of marijuana. However, the new law does not require employers to tolerate marijuana possession or use in the workplace. Further, employers may continue to test for marijuana, though any adverse employment actions must be considered carefully for the risk of disability discrimination claims.
Vermont Attorney General Publishes Guide to Marijuana in the Workplace
Vermont’s recreational marijuana law will take effect on July 1, 2018. (Click here for our previous blog summarizing this law and its impact on employers). On June 14, 2018, the Vermont Office of the Attorney General published the Guide to Vermont’s Laws on Marijuana in the Workplace. The Guide provides employers with an overview of the changes to Vermont’s marijuana laws, and summarizes existing employment laws relating to drug testing in the workplace.
Vermont Adds Crime Victims to Its List of Protected Classes with New Law
The categories of individuals protected under Vermont’s anti-discrimination statute (21 V.S.A. §495) has been expanded to include crime victims.
Vermont Enacts Salary History Inquiry Law
On May 11, 2018, Vermont Governor Phil Scott signed legislation restricting employers from making salary history inquiries. The new law, H. 294, effective July 1, 2018, prohibits asking a prospective, current, or former employee about or seeking information regarding his or her compensation history. For these purposes, compensation includes base compensation, bonuses, benefits, fringe benefits, and equity-based compensation. Under the new law, employers are also prohibited from requiring that a prospective employee’s current or past compensation satisfy minimum or maximum criteria for employment. If an employer discovers a prospective employee’s salary history, the employer may not determine whether to interview the prospective employee based on this information.
Vermont Bans Inquiries into Job Applicants’ Salary and Benefit History
Beginning July 1, 2018, employers in Vermont will be prohibited from requiring a prospective employee to disclose his or her salary and benefit history under legislation (H.B. 294) signed by Governor Phil Scott on May 11, 2018.
Vermont’s Governor Signs Recreational Marijuana Law
Vermont’s Governor Phil Scott signed a recreational marijuana law on January 22, 2018. The law is the first recreational marijuana law to be enacted by a state legislature without a ballot initiative. It will take effect on July 1, 2018.
Reminder: Vermont ‘Ban the Box’
The law prohibits an employer from requesting “criminal history record information,” including arrests, convictions, or sentences, on the initial employment application form, unless the individual is applying for a position for which state or federal law creates a mandatory or presumptive disqualification for employment, based on convictions for certain offenses, or the employer is subject to an obligation imposed by state or federal law not to employ an individual convicted of certain offenses.
Vermont Joins the Ranks of Cities and States that “Ban the Box”
On May 3, 2016, Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin signed a bill into law that prohibits most employers from requesting criminal history information on an employment application. The law adds a new section to the state statutory provisions on “unlawful employment practices.” Vermont’s new law continues the nationwide “ban-the-box” trend and follows closely on the heels of similar legislation enacted in other jurisdictions, including Austin, Texas, Portland, Oregon, and New York City.1
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