[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6116584,"mediaKeyId","2732668-aec35532ae8c466b30f1017e80a24387","parentId",2732668,"title","Human Resources commissioner tells committee telework is here to stay, cites staffing progress and big ERP project","audioSeconds",1883,"startMs",3000,"endMs",1886000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2732668-aec35532ae8c466b30f1017e80a24387&start=3&end=1886","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2732668-aec35532ae8c466b30f1017e80a24387/thumbnail_3000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6116584/Vermont/Human-Resources-commissioner-tells-committee-telework-is-here-to-stay-cites-staffing-progress-and-big-ERP-project","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6116584-f90ef7929342ebc6c5210922debe499e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771158840&Signature=SGCOvcDjdHz3TiydpdbS5XlWkM69QIPO4xDHsi72Bhpswz7GQhNiVWECCE-IBZQhndaydNAR5wNIOva7CFBiTtxs9deqUq5bFvvK8~nAx9ueFpOhsgcQmJCULfbTTSc3Wo3h9mXyiTfaje0mncYVlfUGy4MRGefMIIr0T345dfSeAoQaDw3eK4zsXrzon4bAKro5m2j0lypqzXKgioMk7ICLuqUwAfWACdfD8sevfgpmDcN0Moi5Oxm5y0ESspV5pERyiP2YQnA9UOh0H-R-Hg8bdAFAG2d3OudDftHxuVSc5lN7s7cO1-VNwdvdukK1ySXhDpIkwDIMhR8jsM~Hzg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-03-21T07:31:59Z","article","The Vermont Department of Human Resources’ commissioner, Beth Vistigee, told the Senate Committee on Government Operations on March 20 that telework is now an enduring feature of the state workforce and that the department has largely recovered staffing levels lost during the pandemic.

Vistigee told the panel she started as commissioner in 2017 and that the department now employs about 106 people. “Our telework policy was put in place in 2012,” she said, and expanded sharply during the pandemic; many employees now telework some or all of their hours under formal telework agreements with supervisors. She said the department added several positions during her tenure — three positions moved under DHR from another agency and about eight positions were added roughly two years ago to respond to post‑pandemic hiring and administrative workload.

The discussion centered on several operational priorities for DHR: maintaining recruitment momentum, coordinating telework with the state’s real‑estate needs, stabilizing vacancies, and launching a major enterprise resource planning (ERP) replacement for payroll and related systems. “We are embarking on this big, enterprise resource planning project, which will change our ... system — the system that we do the payroll in, that we track all employees in, and then to the budgeting system, to the accounting system,” Vistigee said, describing the ERP as a “huge multiyear project.”

Why it matters: telework affects office space planning and recruitment, and the ERP replacement affects how payroll, position classification and budgeting operate across state government. The committee pressed for details about whether telework would lead to reduced office footprints and how DHR plans to sustain recent hiring gains.

On telework and office space, Vistigee said Vermont has not faced the same pressure to cut office footprints as some larger states because local office space is not as constrained. She said DHR is coordinating with the administration and expects to do more work to inventory where telework is occurring and how that should influence long‑term space decisions. “I just had a conversation with [the secretary] earlier this week about trying to coordinate more of the telework with the space needs,” she said.

On staffing and vacancies, Vistigee said voluntary turnover has declined from its pandemic peak and that vacancy savings have returned “much closer to normal.” She summarized recruiting challenges but said Vermont is seeing progress: “We are really kind of pleased with the progress we're seeing in those areas,” she said, and added that the state’s ability to offer remote work helps attract candidates who might otherwise seek work outside Vermont.

Committee members asked whether DHR actively targets federal employees or other pools of workers; Vistigee said the department has participated on national calls and sees some federal employees apply, but it has not mounted a targeted federal recruitment campaign. “We're on all — we're still in areas where they can find us and they can find the jobs,” she said, describing the evidence as anecdotal rather than captured in a formal tracking system.

Several senators thanked Vistigee for her responsiveness to the Legislature and pressed her on how she balances providing data and advocacy upward in the administration. Vistigee said it is part of the job to supply data and candid advice even when the administration decides on a different course. “If the decision is different than one that I've advocated for, as you said, so be it. But having the opportunity to provide the information … is what I try to do with the legislature as well,” she said.

Vistigee also reminded the committee the department is pursuing a long‑running classification and compensation project; she noted the governor’s budget included funding to move that work forward. Multiple senators offered to support that project when appropriate.

The committee did not take formal action on the topics discussed. The hearing concluded with committee members thanking Vistigee and noting they would consider her confirmation in a subsequent meeting.

Less critical details: Vistigee described DHR’s mission as internal service — payroll, classification, benefits, investigations and labor negotiations — and emphasized the department’s focus on talent acquisition and employee engagement. She said telework arrangements vary, from a few hours a week to full‑time remote work, and are memorialized in telework agreements signed by employees and supervisors.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Government Operations - 2025-03-20 - 2:30PM","oneSentenceSummary","The Vermont Department of Human Resources’ commissioner, Beth Vistigee, told the Senate Committee on Government Operations on March 20 that telework is now an enduring feature of the state workforce and that the department has largely recovered staffing levels lost during the pandemic.","taxTitle","Government Operations, SENATE, Committees, Legislative , Vermont","taxId",38232,"location","Vermont","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6116580,"Treasurer’s office seeks two permanent positions for unclaimed property unit after banner claim year",868,1925000,2793000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2732668-aec35532ae8c466b30f1017e80a24387&start=1925&end=2793","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2732668-aec35532ae8c466b30f1017e80a24387/thumbnail_1925000.jpg","/articles/6116580/Vermont/Treasurers-office-seeks-two-permanent-positions-for-unclaimed-property-unit-after-banner-claim-year","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6116580-fa89750d57ee1c544cbdb993f55007f2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771158840&Signature=csoJZZKYsxCjKZGeFsGeOekTsthgiKpFepDgDh3pMu44qmGYUaGTHBYeKGe1rxFbSHOevclua6Mlo8G7QdVXEvjtVAsF8W12ET33FlE9QPG7KAMkVrcxBKKN4nwHKqWK5uoTUgMKyYPxRaXjF4i5YWc3pVpNjK3dujC72MUCjVf1UYpwNcpXKz9U9Y7fCJSyukH4ZisGd-telfrTNvuTdfKDJyXSNmSWKPDehSHfwWtEwV170A5iwA1h8MZCVj5ud7DkqOUzuosbkt3Z3p2uStHK83VSV97zZ~INMkabTp-7KT1ZXY1x9bhYNksE~geCZDw~VwgCawHAMu6oZl6ZfA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Ashlyn Doan, director of policy in the state treasurer’s office, and Albert “Al” LaPerle, director of the Unclaimed Property Division, told the Senate Committee on Government Operations on March 20 they are requesting two permanent program technician positions funded from unclaimed property special funds to sustain increased claims processing and outreach.

Doan said the request — two program technician three positions paid 100% from unclaimed property funds — would cost about $201,000 annually in salary and benefits and that the division’s total budget is roughly $1.1 million. “We were hoping to provide some context and sort of an impassioned plea for these positions,” Doan told the committee.

Al LaPerle provided recent activity figures and described a surge in claims and payouts this fiscal year. He said the division has paid about 26,000 properties so far this year compared with about 13,000 in the same timeframe last fiscal year, and that the office has paid roughly $7.2 million to claimants so far versus about $3.1 million last year. LaPerle said the state holds roughly $130 million in unclaimed property across about a million names in its database and that, on a long‑term average, the office returns about 55–56% of received property to owners or heirs.

The treasurer’s office explained how unclaimed property interacts with the general fund. Doan told senators the statute requires a transfer: after paying claims, covering administrative costs and retaining a reserve, a share of remaining receipts is transferred to the general fund. LaPerle said statute instructs a 45% transfer of funds after the office retains amounts needed to pay claims and expenses.

“Unclaimed property is probably one of the greatest consumer protection acts that people are unaware of,” LaPerle said, describing cases in which small amounts returned to individuals made immediate differences, such as preventing eviction. On average, LaPerle said, the typical unclaimed property payout is between $300 and $400, though the office also handles large cases; he said he currently has a claim on his desk for $700,000.

The office also asked the committee to consider a statutory increase in the fast‑track claim threshold. The current statute allows the treasurer to pay a “fast track” claim of up to $250; the treasurer’s staff proposed increasing that ceiling to $1,000 so that small but urgent claims can be paid more quickly.

Doan told the committee the division has not had a staff increase in about 25 years and that the additional positions would be permanent. She said the unclaimed property unit has one vacancy, one temporary employee and one permanent claims staffer in addition to the director and that the requested positions would materially improve processing and outreach. “If we could also significantly improve the situation in unclaimed property with 1 position as well,” she added, “it's not an all‑or‑nothing request.”

Committee members expressed support for the request and discussed sending a letter to the Appropriations Committee to back the positions. One senator noted the office already provided language to Appropriations to raise the fast‑track threshold and volunteered to help draft supporting correspondence. The committee did not take a formal vote in this hearing.

Less critical details: Doan said unclaimed property receipts are seasonal and many holder reports arrive in the spring, which is why final transfer totals are typically updated in May. The treasurer’s office also offered to bring its mobile kiosks to local events to help constituents search for unclaimed property.","Ashlyn Doan and Albert “Al” LaPerle of the state treasurer’s office told the Senate Committee on Government Operations on March 20 they are requesting two permanent program technician positions funded from unclaimed property special funds to sustain increased claims processing and outreach.","actionData","errors"]

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Human Resources commissioner tells committee telework is here to stay, cites staffing progress and big ERP project

Treasurer’s office seeks two permanent positions for unclaimed property unit after banner claim year