Vermont Employment Laws for Employers

Vermont minimum wage is $14.42 per hour (employers of two or more employees), effective January 1, 2026. (21 V.S.A. § 384 (U.S. DOL WHD state minimum wage table))

“Vermont Applicable to employers of two or more employees Basic Minimum Rate (per hour): $14.42”

“Beginning January 1, 2026, the State’s minimum wage will increase from $14.01 to $14.42 per hour”

dol.gov · labor.vermont.gov

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• Biweekly or semimonthly with notice: Employers may pay bi-weekly or semi-monthly after giving notice to each employee. (21 V.S.A. § 342 (U.S. DOL WHD state payday table, footnote 23))

  “23 Vermont. Employers may implement bi-weekly and semi-monthly paydays with written notice.”

  “(A) after giving notice to each employee, pay biweekly or semimonthly, in lawful money or checks, each employee the wages earned by the employee to a day not more than six days prior to the date of payment”

  dol.gov · legislature.vermont.gov · verified Sep 27, 2026 · 2 official sources

• General rule: Employers must pay wages weekly unless, after giving notice to each employee, they choose to pay bi-weekly or semi-monthly. (21 V.S.A. § 342 (U.S. DOL WHD state payday table))

  “Vermont X X 23 X 23”

  “Any employer that is doing business within the State shall pay each week, in lawful money or checks, the wages earned by each employee to a day not more than six days prior to the date of payment.”

  dol.gov · legislature.vermont.gov · verified Sep 27, 2026 · 2 official sources

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Employers must give employees reasonable opportunities during work periods to eat and use toilet facilities; no fixed length is set. (21 V.S.A. § 304 (U.S. DOL WHD meal period table))

“Vermont Employees are to be given "reasonable opportunities" during work periods to eat and use toilet facilities in order to protect the health and hygiene of the employee. 21V.S.A. Section 304 Universal application”

“An employer shall provide an employee with reasonable opportunities during work periods to eat and to use toilet facilities in order to protect the health and hygiene of the employee.”

dol.gov · legislature.vermont.gov

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Employers must give employees reasonable opportunities during work periods to eat and use toilet facilities; no fixed paid rest period is set. (21 V.S.A. § 304 (U.S. DOL WHD rest period table))

“Vermont Employees are to be given "reasonable opportunities" during work periods to eat and use toilet facilities in order to protect the health and hygiene of the employee. Statute Applicable to all employers of one or more employees within the state.”

Same official text as quoted above (see the quote; 21 V.S.A. § 304 · legislature.vermont.gov).

dol.gov · legislature.vermont.gov

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• Accrual: Vermont earned sick time: employees accrue at least one hour of paid earned sick time for every 52 hours worked (including overtime). (21 V.S.A. § 482)

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

  “An employee earns one hour of earned sick time for every 52 hours of actual work, including overtime.”

  legislature.vermont.gov · labor.vermont.gov · verified Sep 24, 2026 · 2 official pages from the same agency

• Annual cap: Employers may limit accrual of earned sick time to 40 hours in a 12-month period. (21 V.S.A. § 482)

  “(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”

  “An employee will also be entitled to use up to 40 hours in 2025 and subsequent years.”

  legislature.vermont.gov · labor.vermont.gov · verified Sep 24, 2026 · 2 official pages from the same agency

• Effective date: Vermont's Earned Sick Time law took effect January 1, 2017 (employers of five or fewer full-time employees had to comply from January 1, 2018). (21 V.S.A. § 482)

  “(Added 2015, No. 69 (Adj. Sess.), § 4, eff. Jan. 1, 2017;”

  “A: All employers with more than five full-time employees must begin complying with the Earned Sick Time Law on January 1, 2017. Employers of five or fewer full-time employees will have to start complying by January 1, 2018.”

  legislature.vermont.gov · labor.vermont.gov · verified Sep 24, 2026 · 2 official pages from the same agency

• Employee eligibility: Covered employees are those employed for an average of at least 18 hours per week during a year (the statute lists exclusions, including federal employees, certain short seasonal jobs and individuals under 18 years of age). (21 V.S.A. § 481)

  “(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.”

  “A: Yes, as long as an employee works an average of 18 hours a week or more.”

  legislature.vermont.gov · labor.vermont.gov · verified Sep 24, 2026 · 2 official pages from the same agency

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Vermont employers may not discharge an at-will employee for a reason against which there is a clear and compelling public policy. (Marcoux-Norton v. Kmart Corp., 907 F. Supp. 766 (D. Vt. 1993), copy filed with the Vermont Legislature (House General committee work group); Cole v. Foxmar Inc., No. 2:18-cv-220 (D. Vt. May 16, 2019), quoting Dulude v. Fletcher Allen Health Care, Inc., 807 A.2d 390, 397 (Vt. 2002))

“In Vermont, an employer may dismiss an employee at any time and for any reason, in the absence of an employment contract for a specific term, unless there is a clear and compelling public policy against the reason given for the discharge.”

“An at-will employee may be discharged at any time, with or without cause, "unless there is a clear and compelling public policy against the reason advanced for the discharge."”

legislature.vermont.gov · govinfo.gov

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In Vermont the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing has little effect in a pure at-will employment relationship and is not recognized as a means of recovery where the relationship is unmodified and at-will. (Marcoux-Norton v. Kmart Corp., 907 F. Supp. 766 (D. Vt. 1993), copy filed with the Vermont Legislature (House General committee work group); Cole v. Foxmar Inc., No. 2:18-cv-220 (D. Vt. May 16, 2019), quoting Dicks v. Jensen, 768 A.2d 1279, 1286 (Vt. 2001))

“In a pure at-will employment contract, where all the employee has bargained for is a relationship in which he or she can be terminated at any time, with or without cause, the implied covenant of good faith has little effect as there are few, if any, contractual benefits for the implied covenant of good faith to protect.”

“The Vermont Supreme Court has "decline[d] to recognize the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing as means of recovery where the employment relationship is unmodified and at-will."”

legislature.vermont.gov · govinfo.gov

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Vermont employers must give each individual notification of the availability of unemployment compensation at the time of the individual's separation from employment; the notification may be based on model language from the U.S. Secretary of Labor. Employers must also post the Commissioner's notice on how to seek unemployment benefits. (21 V.S.A. § 1346(c)(2))

“(2) An employer shall provide an individual with notification of the availability of unemployment compensation at the time of the individual’s separation from employment. The notification may be based on model notification language provided by the U.S. Secretary of Labor.”

Same official text as quoted above (see the quote; 21 V.S.A. chapter 17 (full chapter text) · legislature.vermont.gov).

legislature.vermont.gov · legislature.vermont.gov

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