[T]he Vermont House of Representatives passed a bill that would mandate that employers provide at least three days of paid time off by 2016.
Lawmakers gave H.187 final approval in a 72-63 roll call vote Thursday night. The bill will go to the Senate Committee on Rules, die and be resurrected in the Senate next year.
Prior to the final vote, lawmakers fended off several amendments, including one from Rep. Cynthia Browning, D-Arlington, to set up an Earned Sick Time Insurance Fund that would be similar in nature to unemployment insurance. Browning eventually withdrew the amendment.
A request from Rep. Don Turner, R-Milton, to amend the bill failed. Two technical amendments — including a clarification that self-employed people do not have to provide paid leave to themselves — passed. Lawmakers also rejected a fourth request from Republicans to send the bill back to a committee.
Here are the key provisions of the bill.
• Employers must provide a minimum of three days of paid leave starting Jan. 1, 2016. The minimum requirement increases to five days of paid leave on Jan. 1, 2018. Part-time workers are covered.
• Employers who offer robust benefits packages that exceed the minimum requirements would not need to offer additional time off under the law. They could not retaliate against someone for using the time off as provided under the bill.
• Workers can use the paid leave to call in sick from work for injury or illness; to attend preventive or therapeutic appointments; to take care of a close family member who is sick or injured; to take care of a child who is home on a snow day or because of a bomb threat; or to arrange services related to being a victim of sexual assault, domestic violence, or stalking.
• Employers can impose a waiting period of one year or 1,400 hours — whichever comes first — on new employees before the workers can use the paid sick time.
• Several categories of workers would not be covered under the law: Federal employees, exempt state employees, many temporary health care workers, substitute teachers, seasonal workers, temporary workers,
• Some more exemptions to the law were approved Thursday: Guest workers who are part of a federal work visa program are not eligible. The sole proprietor of an unincorporated company is not eligible, and the executive officer of a corporation or limited liability company is not eligible.
The bill says 78 percent of Vermonters already have access to paid sick leave in one way or another, and says 60,000 people do not. When exemptions are included, it is unclear how many Vermonters would gain access to paid leave under the new law.
