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Vermont committee debates bill to prevent large employers from running workers’ comp and parental‑family leave concurrently
Summary
The General & Housing Committee reviewed H.459, which would bar employers with 50+ employees from counting workers’ compensation absences against the state Parental and Family Leave Act, amid testimony that the change could protect job rights but complicate employer compliance and return‑to‑work planning.
The General & Housing Committee on Wednesday considered H.459, a proposal to bar certain employers from counting time an employee spends on workers’ compensation leave toward the 12 weeks of unpaid leave available under Vermont’s Parental and Family Leave Act (PFLA).
Sophie Sedatny, legislative counsel, told the committee the bill (a standard‑form draft) would add a provision saying employers that employ more than 50 individuals (working an average of at least 30 hours per week during the year) “shall not count an employee’s leave for a compensable work‑related injury or illness under the workers’ compensation statute as unpaid” under the PFLA. She said the 50‑employee threshold is a placeholder drawn from the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and could be adjusted by the committee.
Committee members pressed counsel on how the statutes interact. Sedatny said workers’ compensation and PFLA serve different legal functions: workers’ compensation provides medical coverage and…
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