By Charlotte Oliver/VTDigger
Starting July 1, a new law is set to expand unpaid parental leave for Vermonters — and for the first time, guarantee employees can take off work after the death of a family member. It also defines family relationships more broadly under the law, naming its intention to equitably include LGBTQ+ Vermonters.
The law is designed to let employees take care of personal and family matters without fear of losing their jobs, said Rep. Emilie Krasnow, D-South Burlington, the bill’s lead sponsor. “It may seem like a small step, but it is very mighty because often our previous laws need to catch up with the world that we’re in today,” Krasnow said.
Once the law goes into effect, employees can take up to 12 weeks of unpaid time off after childbirth, miscarriage or to take care of a new adopted or foster child. Vermonters will also be able to take off after the death of a family member for up to two weeks total, with no more than five consecutive days off.
The law also introduces safe leave, which lets someone take up to 12 weeks off work if they or a family member are experiencing domestic or sexual violence.
Oftentimes, survivors seeking help are “experiencing some of the worst times in their life and are not able to continue their lives as usual,” said Charlie Gliserman, the director of policy for the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. The law could allow survivors in crisis the ability to access legal or medical services without fear of losing their jobs, Gliserman said.
The law only applies to businesses with 10 or more employees who work more than 30 hours a week — and lawmakers attempted to strike a balance between offering employee benefits and being practical for business owners, Krasnow said.
The law directly states an intention to include LGBTQ+ families and nontraditional family structures. “Everyone should have the same time off benefits regardless of who they are and who they love and who their family is,” Krasnow said.
It will allow someone to take family leave for a child who isn’t biologically related as long as they have parent-like responsibilities. Vermonters can also take family leave for a domestic partner who isn’t a spouse as long as the relationship is “of a spousal nature.”
Gov. Phil Scott signed the bill into law on May 22. His administration supports the bill “because of its good-natured intent.”
“We’re hopeful this will have a positive effect on workforce retention in Vermont,” said Amanda Wheeler, the governor’s press secretary, in a written statement.
Before the governor’s approval, the bill garnered near-unanimous approval in both the House and Senate. House lawmakers approved an earlier version of the bill in late March, before Senate lawmakers made a few amendments.
In response to concerns from Megan Sullivan, who handles government affairs for the Vermont Chamber of Commerce, lawmakers in the Senate Committee on Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs reduced the number of days employees can take for bereavement leave. Now, the law only allows five consecutive days off instead of two full weeks off.
“It’s almost impossible to temporarily fill that (position),” Sullivan said, and for some business owners, that vacancy can be tough. She pushed lawmakers to make the change.
Senate lawmakers also followed Gliserman’s recommendations on expanding safe leave. After an amendment, the law lets people take off work to meet with a state’s attorney or law enforcement officer. The changes to the bill better “cover the situations that we see with survivors in our legal clinic and at our member organizations” Gliserman said.
“We’re very supportive and excited about the bill,” Gliserman said, but unpaid leave will always be out of reach for most survivors. Most people her organization supports can’t afford to miss a paycheck, she said.
Krasnow sees the bill’s passage as an overdue win. She hopes it keeps the conversation going, and she plans to continue to advocate for paid family and medical leave, she said.
