Labor & Employment in Vermont

introduced · Vermont · Senate Jan 22, 2026

S 295: An act relating to Group membership in the State Employees’ Retirement System

This bill amends Vermont's State Employees' Retirement System membership definitions, primarily updating Group G eligibility. It adds three new job categories to Group G: Department of Corrections facility employees providing direct security/treatment, justice-involved youth facility staff, and Vermont Psychiatric Care Hospital patient care workers. It also expands Group G eligibility for sheriffs and deputy sheriffs who hold Level II/III law enforcement certification, perform law enforcement as their primary duty, and work for county sheriff's departments participating in the retirement system. The bill also clarifies existing Group C membership rules for certain public safety employees.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Professional Licensing

introduced · Vermont · Senate Jan 21, 2026

S 285: An act relating to the adoption of policies to allow Vermont State Police officers and correctional officers to wear religious head coverings

This bill requires Vermont's Department of Public Safety and Department of Corrections to adopt or update policies by October 1, 2026, allowing state police officers and correctional officers to wear religious head coverings while on duty in uniform - subject to exceptions where tight-fitting protective headgear is required for safety. It directly affects sworn law enforcement and correctional officers who wish to observe religious practices. The policy change applies only to head coverings worn during official duties, not to standard uniform requirements. The bill mandates specific deadlines for policy implementation but does not specify which religious practices are covered.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

introduced · Vermont · House Jan 20, 2026

H 726: An act relating to flexible working arrangements

H.726 requires Vermont employers to consider employee requests for flexible work arrangements (like adjusted hours, remote work, or job-sharing) at least twice yearly, provided the arrangement doesn’t conflict with business operations. It directly affects employees seeking changes to their schedules and employers with 10+ employees. Employers must discuss requests in good faith, and may deny them only if the request would cause specific impacts like excessive costs, harm to morale, or inability to meet customer demand. The law takes effect July 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

passed · Vermont · House Feb 19, 2026

H 532: An act relating to mandatory retirement of college professors

H 532 repeals a Vermont law that allowed colleges to require professors to retire at age 70. This bill directly affects college professors employed under unlimited tenure contracts who would have been subject to the mandatory retirement rule. The repeal aligns Vermont law with the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1994, which has preempted such state mandates since 1994. The change takes effect July 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

introduced · Vermont · House Jan 6, 2026

H 570: An act relating to overtime pay

This bill changes Vermont's overtime rules by requiring employers to pay eligible employees 1.5 times their regular wage for hours worked over 8 in a single workday, and double their regular wage for hours over 12 in a day. It replaces the current system that only required overtime pay after 40 hours in a workweek. The law directly affects Vermont employers and most hourly workers who are not exempt from overtime rules. The changes will take effect on January 1, 2027.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Labor Standards

introduced · Vermont · House Jan 7, 2026

H 584: An act relating to excluding public safety pension and survivor benefit income from income taxation

This bill (H.584) amends Vermont's tax code to exclude income from public safety pensions and survivor benefits from state income taxation. It directly affects Vermont police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical technicians (EMTs), as well as their survivors, by removing this income from taxable earnings. The key mechanism adds a specific exclusion to Vermont's definition of "taxable income" under 32 V.S.A. § 5811(21)(B)(vii), ensuring these benefits are not included in the calculation of state income tax. The change takes effect retroactively for taxable years beginning January 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Income Tax Pensions

introduced · Vermont · Senate Jan 27, 2026

S 317: An act relating to weatherization funding and weatherization workforce recruitment

This bill (S 317) continues a fossil fuel purchase tax to fund Vermont's Home Weatherization Assistance Program, expanding eligibility to households earning up to 125% of the state median income. It requires the program to prioritize high-energy-use buildings, increase salaries for weatherization staff by 15% annually (2026-2028), and partner with utilities to provide free weatherization services to low-income households. The bill also directs funding toward workforce training programs targeting new recruits, including partnerships with career programs and organizations serving homeless and formerly incarcerated individuals. The tax on heating oil, propane, and other fuels will continue until June 2027, with broader energy taxes ending by 2029.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Energy ✓ Environment ✓ Housing ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Energy Efficiency Oil & Gas Homelessness Workforce Development

introduced · Vermont · Senate Jan 27, 2026

S 306: An act relating to first responders in communications

This Vermont bill (S.306) defines 911 call takers, public safety dispatchers, and emergency communications staff as "first responders in communications" for the first time. It requires employers to provide relevant training and extends workers' compensation benefits for PTSD to these dispatchers, presuming PTSD diagnosed during service is job-related unless proven otherwise. The law specifically covers Vermont dispatchers certified by the Vermont Enhanced 911 Board who handle emergency communications. It takes effect July 1, 2026, and directly affects all Vermont emergency communications dispatchers.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Workers' Compensation Tags Public Safety

introduced · Vermont · House Jan 16, 2026

H 713: An act relating to raising the minimum wage for employees working for a national fast food chain

H 713 requires national fast food chains (defined as brands with over 60 locations nationally) to pay employees a minimum of $20 per hour starting January 1, 2027, with annual increases tied to the standard statewide minimum wage formula. It directly affects workers at large fast food chains operating across multiple states under a single brand. The bill also creates the Fast Food Council, composed of industry representatives, franchise owners, employee advocates, and a public member, to study and recommend future wage and working condition standards. The Council must submit its first report by December 15, 2028, and annually through 2031.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Labor Standards Minimum Wage

introduced · Vermont · Senate Jan 22, 2026

S 292: An act relating to granting public higher education employees the right to strike

This bill (S.292) would amend Vermont law to grant public higher education employees statewide the right to strike, which they currently do not have under state labor law. It directly affects employees at all public colleges and universities in Vermont (including Vermont State Colleges and the University of Vermont, which are currently exempt from the strike ban). The key mechanism is amending two sections of law: removing the prohibition on strikes for these employees in §903 and revising §962 to clarify that striking is not an unfair labor practice for them. The change would take effect on July 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Education ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Higher Education Collective Bargaining

All labor & employment bills