Leave

Issue: Parental and Family Leave or Military Leave

Parental and Medical Leave

Vermont law requires many employers to allow full-time employees to take up to 12 weeks per year of unpaid leave for pregnancy, birth, adoption, or serious illness of themselves or close family members. Employers may not retaliate against employees who exercise their rights under the law and normally must reinstate employees in their jobs on return from leave.

• The parental leave section of the act applies to employers with 10 or more employees.
• The medical leave section of the act applies to employers with 15 or more employees.
• To qualify under the act employees must be continuously employed by the same employer for a period of one year for an average of at least 30 hours per week.

Short-Term Leave

Vermont law also allows many employees to take up to 24 hours per year (4 hours per month) of short-term unpaid leave for routine medical and dental care, children’s academic needs, medical emergencies, and the like.

There significant differences between the Vermont Parental and Family Leave Act (PFLA) and the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). In general, whichever of the two statutes provides greater protection for employees is the one that will apply. The Attorney General’s Civil Rights Unit enforces the provisions of the Vermont Parental & Family Leave Act, including the provision that bars retaliation or discrimination against employees who exercise their rights under the Act. Claims under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act are filed with the U.S. Department of Labor.

Office of the U.S. Department of Labor that covers Vermont :

U.S. Department of Labor
2 Wall Street, 1st Floor
Manchester, NH 03101

(603) 666-7716

How do I:

• File a complaint of a violation of the parental and family leave act? (link to page)
• Learn more about the Attorney General's Civil Rights Unit Investigative Process?

• Obtain a workplace poster informing about Vermont’s PFLA

Law

State: Parental & Family Leave, 21 V.S.A. §§ 470-474. (scroll down page for 470-474)

Federal: Family & Medical Leave Act, 29 U.S.C. §§ 2601-2654.

Issue: Military Service and Leave

A member or applicant for membership in the National Guard shall not be denied initial employment, reemployment, retention of employment, promotion or any benefit of employment on the basis of service, application to service or obligation to serve.

Any absence for military training or state active duty shall not affect the employee’s right to receive normal vacation, sick leave, bonus, advancement, and other advantages of employment normally anticipated in the employee’s position.

How do I:

• File a complaint of a violation of the parental and family leave act?
• Learn more about the Attorney General's Civil Rights Unit Investigative Process

Law: 21 V.S.A.§491