Vermont: Updated Parental and Family Leave of Absence Laws

Vermont’s Parental and Family Leave law providing a leave of absence for childbirth, adoption placement, an employee’s own serious health condition and a family member’s serious health condition has been amended effective July 1, 2025. A separate Vermont law, titled Short-Term Family Leave, has also been modified.

Changes to Leave Reasons

In addition to the established leave reasons, employees will also be able to take a leave of absence for the following purposes:

• Bereavement Leave: This leave can be taken due to the death of the employee’s family member, which occurs not more than one year after the family member’s death. This includes leave taken in relation to the administration or settlement of the deceased family member’s estate. Employees may take up to two weeks of bereavement leave, with no more than five consecutive workdays permitted.
• Parental Leave: This leave category has been modified to include time for the employee’s pregnancy, the employee’s recovery from childbirth or miscarriage, the birth of the employee’s child and to care for or bond with the child within one year after the child’s birth. In addition, for the initial placement of a child 18 or younger with the employee for the purpose of adoption or foster care and to care for or bond with this child within one year after placement.
• Qualifying Exigency: This leave refers to time off permitted under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act, or FMLA, that is related to a family member’s active-duty service in the U.S. armed forces.
• Safe Leave: This leave may be used when an employee or their family member has been the victim of certain crimes. It is intended to support recovery and safety-related needs such as recovering from injuries; seeking medical care, counseling or services; participating in safety planning; relocating; or meeting with legal or law enforcement representatives.

Updated Employer Definition

For the purposes of parental leave, bereavement leave, safe leave and qualifying exigency, the definition of employer has been modified to include those who employ 10 or more individuals for an average of at least 30 hours per week. For the purpose of family leave (employee’s serious health condition and family member’s serious health condition), the definition now includes those who employ 15 or more individuals for an average of at least 30 hours per week.

New Definition of Family Member

The definition of family member under this law has been added which includes: child (regardless of age), parent; legal guardian; a person who stands or stood in loco parentis; a spouse, civil union or domestic partner; grandparent; grandchild; or sibling. It’s important to note that the added family member definition is very comprehensive and, in many cases, includes in-laws and foster, adoptive and step relationships.

Changes to Certification Requirements

Certification requirements have been added for bereavement leave, qualifying exigency and safe leave:

• Bereavement Leave Certification: Employees may be required to provide: a death certificate; published obituary; or a written notice or verification of death, burial or memorial services from certain defined entities.
• Qualifying Exigency Certification: Employees may be required to provide documentation as outlined in the FMLA.
• Safe Leave Certification: Employees may be required to provide documentation from one of the following sources:
  • A court, law enforcement or other government agency
  • A domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking assistance program
  • A legal, clerical, medical or other professional who provided counseling or other assistance
  • A self-attestation by the employee describing the circumstances supporting the need for leave

Short-Term Family Leave

In addition to the above changes, Vermont has a separate Short-Term Family Leave law, which allows time away from work for certain school activities, routine medical/dental appointments, certain appointments for professional services, and to respond to medical emergencies. This law has also been modified effective July 1, 2025, to incorporate a new definition of covered family member to align with the state’s Parental and Family Leave law.

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