| 1 | 1 | | BILL AS INTRODUCED H.263 |
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| 2 | 2 | | 2025 Page 1 of 3 |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | VT LEG #380175 v.1 |
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| 6 | 6 | | H.263 1 |
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| 7 | 7 | | Introduced by Representatives Priestley of Bradford, Hooper of Burlington, 2 |
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| 8 | 8 | | McCann of Montpelier, McGill of Bridport, and Minier of 3 |
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| 9 | 9 | | South Burlington 4 |
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| 10 | 10 | | Referred to Committee on 5 |
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| 11 | 11 | | Date: 6 |
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| 12 | 12 | | Subject: Labor; employment practices; right to disconnect 7 |
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| 13 | 13 | | Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to establish a 8 |
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| 14 | 14 | | right for employees to disconnect from communications from employers 9 |
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| 15 | 15 | | during nonworking hours. 10 |
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| 16 | 16 | | An act relating to creating a right for employees to disconnect from work 11 |
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| 17 | 17 | | It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 12 |
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| 18 | 18 | | Sec. 1. 21 V.S.A. § 495q is added to read: 13 |
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| 19 | 19 | | § 495q. RIGHT TO DISCONNECT 14 |
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| 20 | 20 | | (a) Definitions. As used in this section: 15 |
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| 21 | 21 | | (1) “Emergency” means an unforeseen situation that: 16 |
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| 22 | 22 | | (A) threatens an employee, customer, or the public; 17 |
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| 23 | 23 | | (B) disrupts or shuts down operations; or 18 |
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| 24 | 24 | | (C) causes physical or environmental damage. 19 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.263 |
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| 25 | 25 | | 2025 Page 2 of 3 |
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| 26 | 26 | | |
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| 27 | 27 | | |
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| 28 | 28 | | VT LEG #380175 v.1 |
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| 29 | 29 | | (2) “Nonworking hours” means hours before and after an employee’s 1 |
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| 30 | 30 | | assigned hours of work as established by written agreement between the 2 |
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| 31 | 31 | | employer and the employee. 3 |
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| 32 | 32 | | (3) “Pattern of violation” means three or more documented instances of 4 |
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| 33 | 33 | | an employer violating an employee’s right to disconnect. 5 |
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| 34 | 34 | | (4) “Right to disconnect” means, except as provided in subsection (b), 6 |
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| 35 | 35 | | an employee has the right to ignore communications from the employer during 7 |
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| 36 | 36 | | nonworking hours. 8 |
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| 37 | 37 | | (5) “Scheduling” means changes to an employee’s schedule within 24 9 |
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| 38 | 38 | | hours of the start of the employee’s next assigned hours of work. 10 |
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| 39 | 39 | | (b) Exceptions. An employer may contact an employee during nonworking 11 |
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| 40 | 40 | | hours for an emergency or for scheduling. 12 |
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| 41 | 41 | | (c) Policy. An employer shall establish a workplace policy that provides 13 |
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| 42 | 42 | | employees with the right to disconnect from communications from the 14 |
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| 43 | 43 | | employer during nonworking hours. The policy shall not include any 15 |
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| 44 | 44 | | provisions that reduce the rights of employees to be compensated for work 16 |
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| 45 | 45 | | performed or to take time off work. 17 |
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| 46 | 46 | | (d) Administrative penalty. An employee may file a complaint concerning 18 |
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| 47 | 47 | | a pattern of violation of this section with the Commissioner of Labor. If the 19 |
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| 48 | 48 | | Commissioner determines that the employer has violated this section, the 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.263 |
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| 49 | 49 | | 2025 Page 3 of 3 |
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| 51 | 51 | | |
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| 52 | 52 | | VT LEG #380175 v.1 |
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| 53 | 53 | | Commissioner is authorized to assess an administrative penalty of not less than 1 |
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| 54 | 54 | | $100.00. 2 |
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| 55 | 55 | | Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE 3 |
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| 56 | 56 | | This act shall take effect on July 1, 2025. 4 |
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