State Update Overview
| Date Updated | October 2023 |
| Labor Law Update | The State of Vermont Minimum Wage Law; EEOC “Know Your Rights” and DOL “Employee Rights Under the FLSA” Posters |
| What Changed | Increased VT minimum wage; Recently enacted Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) and Provide Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act (PUMP) |
| Mandatory or Non-Mandatory | Mandatory |
| Updated Poster | Vermont Labor Law Poster |
In October 2023, the Vermont Department of Labor announced an increase in minimum wage rates effective January 1, 2024.
Vermont Minimum Wage Law
- Minimum wage rate increases to $13.67 per hour
- Basic wage rate for tipped employees increases to $6.84 per hour
- Maximum tip credit allowed increases to $6.83 per hour
- Effective January 1, 2024
Effective June 27, 2023, the new Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) requires covered employers to provide reasonable accommodations to a worker’s known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, unless the accommodation will cause the employer an undue hardship. The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has updated its “Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal” Poster to summarize the new law.
EEOC “Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal” Poster Updates
- Illegal employment discrimination on the bases of sex includes childbirth.
- Illegal employment discrimination includes interference, coercion, or threats related to exercising rights regarding disability discrimination or pregnancy accommodation.
- Failure to provide reasonable accommodations for pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical condition can be considered discriminatory.
- Discriminatory employment practice can include conduct that coerces, intimidates, threatens, or interferes with someone exercising their rights, or someone assisting or encouraging someone else to exercise rights, regarding disability discrimination (including accommodation) or pregnancy accommodation.
Effective April 28, 2023, the Provide Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act (PUMP) extends the right to receive break time to pump and a private place to pump at work to more nursing employees. The federal Department of Labor (DOL) revised its “Employee Rights Under the Fair Labor Standards Act” poster to include changes from the new law.
DOL “Employee Rights Under the Fair Labor Standards Act” Poster Updates
- The section titled Nursing Mothers has been changed to Pump at Work.
- The right to break time to express breast milk previously only applied to employees subject to the overtime requirement under the FLSA (non-exempt employees). This reference has been removed.
- The revised poster clearly notes that narrow exemptions may apply to the pump at work requirements.
Wage and Hour Exemptions
Employees may be exempt from wage and hour laws based on criteria associated with their salary, actual duties, and skills. Exempt employees neither receive overtime pay nor qualify for minimum wage. Vermont labor law defines these exemptions based on Executive, Administrative, or Professional status. Learn more here.
Vermont Labor Law Poster Updates
All businesses within the State of Vermont must display the new “Minimum Wage”, “Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal”, and “Employee Rights Under the Fair Labor Standards Act” posters along with other state and federally mandated posting requirements where they are sufficiently accessible and viewable to all employees. These changes have been reflected in our Vermont & Federal Labor Law Poster and require an immediate mandatory update. Failure to meet compliance requirements and display the updated posters could result in fines.
Order the Vermont & Federal Labor Law Poster to immediately include these required updates.
