Vermont bill on paid sick leave passes Senate

UPDATE: Gov. Peter Shumlin (D) signed the bill into law on March 9.

Montpelier, VT – Vermont may be on track to become the fifth state in the nation to guarantee paid sick leave for workers.

State senators approved a proposal Feb. 10 that would give workers across the state access to three paid sick days after they have worked for one year. The measure headed to the state’s House of Representatives, where it remained under consideration at press time.

If approved, the bill would allow workers to accrue one hour of paid leave for every 52 hours on the job. Senators rejected a proposed amendment that would have exempted organizations with five or fewer employees from the requirement.

Four states – California, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Oregon – already require some form of paid sick leave. Several major municipalities, including New York City and the District of Columbia, also have approved legislation allowing workers to accrue paid sick time.

According to the Washington-based National Partnership for Women and Families, more than 43 million people in the United States do not have access to paid sick leave.