What employers in Vermont must do
Checked November 9, 2026From the agencies that run each program
Short answer
Employers in Vermont must pay at least $14.42 an hour, rising to $14.91 on January 1, 2027.
Vermont has no state paid family and medical leave insurance program.
Vermont employers covered by Vermont Saves that don’t offer a qualified retirement plan must register by their deadline.
The next dated change in Vermont is January 1, 2027: Vermont minimum wage rises to $14.91.
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Vermont requirements at a glance
| Requirement | Status | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum wage | In effect | $14.42 an hour; $14.91 from January 1, 2027 |
| Retirement mandate: Vermont Saves | In effect | Vermont employers (for-profit or nonprofit) with 2 or more employees at any time during a calendar year, counting part-time, seasonal and temporary workers, that don’t offer a qualified retirement plan. The program says employers must have been in business at least 2 years; the statute excludes employers that have only been in business during the current calendar year. Covered employees are 18 or older. |
Pay rules Vermont employers must follow
- Paydays
- Weekly, covering wages up to 6 days before payday. Every two weeks or twice a month is allowed after notice to employees.
- Final paycheck, fired
- Within 72 hours of the discharge.
- Final paycheck, quit
- By the regular payday (the law says 'the last regular pay day'), or the following Friday if there is no regular payday.
- Meal breaks
- No set meal break. Employers must give reasonable chances to eat and use the restroom.
- Rest breaks
- No set rest break; the same 'reasonable opportunities’ rule applies.
- Overtime
- Time and a half after 40 hours in a workweek. The state law covers employers with 2 or more employees, but its overtime section excludes retail or service establishments, hotels, motels, restaurants and some others; federal overtime rules can still apply to them.
- New hire reporting
- Within 10 days of the first day of paid work, to the Vermont Department of Labor
From the Vermont Department of Labor and the U.S. Department of Labor’s state tables, checked November 7, 2026.
What changed in Vermont
· Rate announced
Vermont sets its 2027 minimum wage at $14.91
The Vermont Department of Labor announced that the state minimum wage will rise from $14.42 to $14.91 an hour on January 1, 2027. The tipped minimum wage will rise from $7.21 to $7.46 an hour.
Upcoming Vermont deadlines
Deadline calendar for every state · How to hire your first employee · Employer law changes for 2027 · All states
Sources
- Vermont Department of Labor
- Office of the Vermont State Treasurer
- State Payday Requirements (last revised January 1, 2023), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (read Nov 7, 2026)
- Minimum Length of Meal Period Required under State Law for Adult Employees in Private Sector (last revised January 1, 2023), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (read Nov 7, 2026)
- Minimum Paid Rest Period Requirements Under State Law for Adult Employees in Private Sector (last revised January 1, 2023), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (read Nov 7, 2026)
- State Minimum Wage Laws, including premium (overtime) pay after designated hours (updated November 5, 2026), U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (read Nov 7, 2026)
- 21 V.S.A. § 342, Payment of wages, Vermont General Assembly (read Nov 7, 2026)
- 21 V.S.A. § 304, Meal and toilet breaks, Vermont General Assembly (read Nov 7, 2026)
- New Hire Reporting, Vermont Department of Labor (read Nov 7, 2026)
- 21 V.S.A. § 384, Employment; wages, Vermont General Assembly (read Nov 8, 2026)
- 21 V.S.A. § 383, Definitions, Vermont General Assembly (read Nov 8, 2026)