When hiring workers from Vermont, it is crucial to ensure that your handbook complies with both federal and Vermont employee handbook requirements. While employers aren’t required to create and distribute employee handbooks, they are required to implement and comply with a variety of policies in the workplace. An employee handbook offers several benefits. It introduces the company, provides essential information on expectations, outlines policies and procedures, and reduces potential legal liabilities.
However, if your Vermont employee handbook policies do not align with state or federal laws, your company could face significant risks. Designing state-specific employee handbooks can be a time-consuming and expensive process, especially when hiring employees in multiple states.
Thankfully, SixFifty’s Employment Docs platform provides valuable assistance to employers by simplifying state and federal compliance, making the research and drafting process more efficient and cost-effective.
Here’s what you need to know about creating your own customized, compliant Vermont employee handbooks.
Required Vermont employee handbook policies
Vermont requires employers to implement and comply with 13 state-specific policies:
- Crime Victim Leave
- Elected Official Leave (6 Employees)
- Equal Employment Opportunity
- Family and Medical Leave (10 Employees)
- Jury Duty Leave
- Meal and Rest Breaks
- Military Service Leave
- Paid Sick Leave
- Pregnancy Leave (10 Employees) (see SixFifty’s Parental Leave)
- School Activity Leave
- Sexual Harassment Policy
- Town Meeting Leave (see SixFifty’s Voting and Election Official Leave)
- Witness Duty Leave
Three of the policies have employee thresholds. If your company is approaching these thresholds, it’s usually wise to include them now.
Optional Vermont employee handbook policies
In addition to the 13 required employee handbook policies, Vermont employers may choose to include optional policies like these:
- Affinity Group Policy
- Anti-Bribery and Anti-Corruption Policy
- Arbitration Policy
- At-Will Employment Policy
- Background Check Policy
- COBRA Policy
- Cell Phone Policy
- Code of Conduct Policy
- Business Expense Policy
- Company Property Policy
- Confidentiality and Trade Secrets Policy
- Desk Hoteling Policy
- Direct Deposit Policy
- Dress Code Policy
- Drug and Alcohol Abuse Policy
- Electronic Devices While Driving Policy
- Employee Benefits Policy
- Employee Classification Policy
- Employee Dating Policy
- Employee References Policy
- Employment of Relatives Policy
- Exit Interview Policy
- Gifts Policy
- Health and Safety Policy
- Home Office Reimbursement Policy
- Job Duties Policy
- Key or Access Card Policy
- Holidays
- Immigration Law Compliance
- Leave Policies, including: Parental Leave; Bereavement Leave; Organ, Bone Marrow, and Blood Donor Leave; Domestic Violence Leave
- Cannabis Policy
- Off-Duty Use of Facilities
- Outside Employment Policy
- Overtime Policy
- Payment of Wages Policy
- Payroll Deductions Policy
- Performance Review Policy
- Personnel Files Policy
- Pets in the Workplace Policy
- Progressive Discipline Policy
- Public Relations Policy
- Punctuality and Attendance Policy
- Record Retention Policy
- Remote Working Policy
- Salary Pay Policy
- Smoking Policy
- Social Media Policy
- Solicitation and Distribution of Literature Policy
- Technology Systems Policy
- Temporary Relocation Policy
- Timekeeping Policy
- Vacation/Paid Time Off
- Video Conferencing Policy
- Weapons in the Workplace
- Workers’ Compensation Policy
- Workplace Violence Policy
- Workplace Visitor Policy
- Workweek and Work Schedules Policy
Depending on your company and industry, employment type, and other factors, not all of these policies will be suitable for your company.
Required federal employee handbook policies
If you choose to create an employee handbook, you should include these policies that are required by federal employment law:
- Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (15+ Employees)
- Employment and Anti-Discrimination Policy
- Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Policy (50 Employees)
- Jury Duty Leave
- Military Service Leave
- Sexual Harassment Policy
- Lactation Accommodation Policy
- Religious Accommodations Policy
Employers in all 50 states are required to implement these policies, in addition to any that are required by the specific state(s) in which they have employees. Therefore, all of your employee handbooks should contain these federal policies (if your organization meets the 50-employee requirement for the FMLA Policy).
How to create a Vermont employee handbook
Creating a Vermont employee handbook can be challenging. Developing state-specific handbooks demands extensive research and careful drafting to adhere to state and federal employment laws. Non-compliance with the law could expose your organization to legal risk.
Some employers opt for the safer choice of hiring attorneys to draft their handbooks. However, when hiring in multiple states, billable hours can quickly accumulate. Alternatively, using online templates may look like an attractive option, but it comes with risks. One-size-fits-all templates may not cover all required state policies or use appropriate language.
Here’s where SixFifty’s employee handbook creator comes in. Instead of handling the research and drafting on your own, hiring a lawyer, or relying on templates, Employment Docs empowers you to create customized, state-specific employee handbooks that fully comply with Vermont employee handbook requirements. The platform supports employers throughout the entire employment life cycle, from crafting offer letters and handbooks to separation agreements and offboarding documents. Employment Docs ensures the production of top-tier employment documents, including handbooks that meet all Vermont employee handbook requirements. Additionally, our legal team monitors changes to employment legislation nationwide. If any new developments arise, we will notify you so you can update your handbooks accordingly.
Ready to learn more? Schedule a demo today!
Looking to create an employee handbook for a different state? View our interactive map for required employee handbook policies by state.
