The Vermont Statutes Online

Title 21 : Labor

Chapter 005 : Employment Practices

Subchapter 004B : EARNED SICK TIME

• § 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 completing the waiting period.

  (c) An employer may:

  (1) limit the amount of earned sick time accrued pursuant to this section to 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 it accrues during each quarter. (Added 2015, No. 69 (Adj. Sess.), § 4, eff. Jan. 1, 2017; amended 2023, No. 85 (Adj. Sess.), § 104, eff. July 1, 2024.)