The Vermont Statutes Online

Title 21 : Labor

Chapter 005 : Employment Practices

Subchapter 004B : EARNED SICK TIME

• § 481. Definitions

  As used in this subchapter:

  (1) “Employer” means any individual, organization, or governmental body, partnership, association, corporation, legal representative, trustee, receiver, trustee in bankruptcy, and any common carrier by rail, motor, water, air, or express company doing business in or operating within this State.

  (2) “Combined time off” means a policy under which the employer provides time off from work for vacation, sickness, or personal reasons, and the employee has the option to use all of the leave for whatever purpose the employee chooses.

  (3) “Commissioner” means the Commissioner of Labor.

  (4) “Earned sick time” means discretionary time earned and accrued under the provisions of this subchapter and used by an employee to take time off from work for the purposes listed in subdivisions 483(a)(1)-(5) of this subchapter.

  (5) “Employee” means a person who, in consideration of direct or indirect gain or profit, is employed by an employer for an average of no less than 18 hours per week during a year. However, the term “employee” shall not include:

  (A) An individual who is employed by the federal government.

  (B) An individual who is employed by an employer:

  (i) for 20 weeks or fewer in a 12-month period; and

  (ii) in a job scheduled to last 20 weeks or fewer.

  (C) An individual that is employed by the State and is exempt or excluded from the State classified service pursuant to 3 V.S.A. § 311, but not an individual that is employed by the State in a temporary capacity pursuant to 3 V.S.A. § 331.

  (D) An employee of a health care facility as defined in 18 V.S.A. § 9432(8) or a facility as defined in 33 V.S.A. § 7102(2) if the employee only works on a per diem or intermittent basis.

  (E) An employee of a school district, supervisory district, or supervisory union as defined in 16 V.S.A. § 11 that:

  (i) is employed pursuant to a school district or supervisory union policy on substitute educators as required by the Vermont Standards Board for Professional Educators Rule 5381;

  (ii) is under no obligation to work a regular schedule; and

  (iii) is not under contract or written agreement to provide at least one period of long-term substitute coverage, which is defined as 30 or more consecutive school days in the same assignment.

  (F) An individual who is under 18 years of age.

  (G) An individual that is either:

  (i) a sole proprietor or partner owner of an unincorporated business who is excluded from the provisions of chapter 9 of this title pursuant to subdivision 601(14)(F) of this title; or

  (ii) an executive officer, manager, or member of a corporation or a limited liability company for whom the Commissioner has approved an exclusion from the provisions of chapter 9 of this title pursuant to subdivision 601(14)(H) of this title.

  (H) An individual who:

  (i) works on a per diem or intermittent basis;

  (ii) works only when he or she indicates that he or she is available to work;

  (iii) is under no obligation to work for the employer offering the work; and

  (iv) has no expectation of continuing employment with the employer.

  (6) “Paid time off policy” means any policy under which the employer provides paid time off from work to the employee that includes a combination of one or more of the following:

  (A) annual leave;

  (B) combined time off;

  (C) vacation leave;

  (D) personal leave;

  (E) sick leave; or

  (F) any similar type of leave. (Added 2015, No. 69 (Adj. Sess.), § 4, eff. Jan. 1, 2017; amended 2023, No. 85 (Adj. Sess.), § 103, eff. July 1, 2024.)