Skip to navigation Skip to content Skip to subnav
Searching 2023-2024 Session

The Vermont Statutes Online

The Vermont Statutes Online have been updated to include the actions of the 2023 session of the General Assembly.

NOTE: The Vermont Statutes Online is an unofficial copy of the Vermont Statutes Annotated that is provided as a convenience.

Title 21 : Labor

Chapter 005 : Employment Practices

Subchapter 004B : Earned Sick Time

(Cite as: 21 V.S.A. § 482)
  • § 482. Earned sick time

    (a) An employee shall accrue not less than one hour of earned sick time for every 52 hours worked.

    (b) An employer may require a waiting period for newly hired employees of up to one year. During this waiting period, an employee shall accrue earned sick time pursuant to this subchapter, but shall not be permitted to use the earned sick time until after he or she has completed the waiting period.

    (c) An employer may:

    (1) limit the amount of earned sick time accrued pursuant to this section to:

    (A) from January 1, 2017 until December 31, 2018, a maximum of 24 hours in a 12-month period; and

    (B) after December 31, 2018, a maximum of 40 hours in a 12-month period; or

    (2) limit to 40 hours the number of hours in each workweek for which full-time employees not subject to the overtime provisions of the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act, 29 U.S.C. § 213(a)(1), may accrue earned sick time pursuant to this section.

    (d)(1) Earned sick time shall be compensated at a rate that is equal to the greater of either:

    (A) the normal hourly wage rate of the employee; or

    (B) the minimum wage rate for an employee pursuant to section 384 of this title.

    (2) Group insurance benefits shall continue during an employee’s use of earned sick time at the same level and conditions that coverage would be provided as for normal work hours. The employer may require that the employee contribute to the cost of the benefits during the use of earned sick time at the existing rate of employee contribution.

    (e) Except as otherwise provided by subsection 484(a) of this subchapter, an employer shall calculate the amount of earned sick time that an employee has accrued pursuant to this section:

    (1) as it accrues during each pay period; or

    (2) on a quarterly basis, provided that an employee may use earned sick time as he or she accrues it during each quarter. (Added 2015, No. 69 (Adj. Sess.), § 4, eff. Jan. 1, 2017.)