CONTACT: Tom Cheney, (802) 828-2245
House Passes Workers’ Compensation Compliance Bill
Montpelier, Vt –The Vermont House of Representatives today passed H. 647, An Act Relating to Misclassification of Employees to Lower Premiums for Workers’ Compensation and Unemployment Compensation. The bill seeks to create a culture of compliance with workers’ compensation laws by updating the penalties for those in violation of the law.
“This bill offers strong protection for the thousands of hard working employers in Vermont who seek to comply with the law,” said Speaker Shap Smith. “It will also bring many more Vermont employees under the protection of workers’ compensation laws.”
In addition to tough fines on employers for employee misclassification, H. 647 mandates that the state act as a model citizen by contacting only with employers who obey workers’ compensation law. The bill also protects whistle-blower employees, as well as creating a confidential online workers’ compensation abuse reporting system.
The basis of H. 647 came out of the Workers’ Compensation Employee Classification, Coding, and Fraud Enforcement Task Force which concluded its eighteen month study in November of last year. The bill emerged from the House Committee on Commerce and Economic Development on a unanimous vote and passed the House with a strong voice vote. It will now be sent to the Senate for consideration.
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Thomas Cheney
Aide to the Speaker of the House
115 State Street
Montpelier , Vermont 05633-5201
Office: (802) 828-2245
Fax: (802) 828-2220
Good work; and you have to love the language.
“The bill seeks to create a culture of compliance with workers’ compensation laws by updating the penalties for those in violation of the law.”
a “culture of compliance”?
Translation: the state will now attempt to catch and punish those employers who have been violating the law and screwing workers