By: HUB's Absence Management Team

On December 6, 2022, Vermont Governor Phil Scott announced that the State of Vermont has hired The Hartford to create the Vermont Family and Medical Leave Insurance Plan (VT-FMLI). 

Overview: Vermont Family and Medical Leave Insurance Plan (VT-FMLI)

The State of Vermont has hired The Hartford to create the VT-FMLI program. The program will first roll out to employees of the state government and will provide 60% wage replacement for all state employees for up to six (6) weeks when they experience a qualifying event. Qualifying events include:

  • The birth of a child and to care for the newborn child within one year of birth;
  • An employee’s adoption of a child or foster care placement, and to care for the newly placed child within one year of placement;
  • Caring for the employee’s spouse, child, stepchild, foster child, ward who lives with the employee, parent or parent of the employee’s spouse who has a serious health condition;
  • A serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the essential functions of their job; or
  • Any qualifying exigency arising out of the fact that the employee’s spouse, child, or parent is a covered military member on “covered active duty,” or to care for a covered service-member with a serious injury or illness if the eligible employee is the service-member’s spouse, son, daughter, parent, or next of kin (i.e. “military caregiver leave”).

The program will first roll out to employees of the state government in July 2023. Starting in 2024, the program will roll out to all non-State public and private employers as a voluntary program. There will be a variety of plan options for employers who choose to offer VT-FMLI. In 2025, individuals who work for Vermont employers that do not offer VT-FMLI will be able to purchase coverage through an individual purchasing pool.

Next Steps

Employers with two or more employees in the state of Vermont, should begin discussions on the program and whether or not they will opt-in. We will be tracking the progress of VT-FMLI and will provide you with updates as they become available.

Additional information can be found on in the state’s FAQ document and on The Hartford’s VT-FMLI website.

NOTICE OF DISCLAIMER
Neither Hub International Limited nor any of its affiliated companies is a law or accounting firm, and therefore they cannot provide legal or tax advice. The information herein is provided for general information only and is not intended to constitute legal or tax advice as to an organization’s specific circumstances. You should consult an attorney, accountant, or other legal or tax professional regarding the application of the general information provided here to your organization’s specific situation in light of your organization’s particular needs.