Regulation of chemicals and related matters, including new financial and legal liabilities, were major issues in the State House during the last legislative session, even more so than in recent years. Although AIV and our coalition of stakeholders were ultimately successful in helping to forestall potentially damaging legislation, it can be expected that manufacturers and […]
Action Alert | Preparing for Labor and Workplace Issues Facing Vermont Manufacturers
Several labor and workplace proposals were major issues in the State House during the last legislative session. Although AIV and our allies were ultimately successful in helping to forestall potentially costly legislation, it can be expected that key issues will return to center stage in the new Legislature and additional issues will need to be […]
Vermont Workers’ Compensation Vocational Rehabilitation Final Proposed Rules Filed
The final proposed rules for Workers’ Compensation Vocational Rehabilitation have been filed with the Secretary of State’s office and the Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules (LCAR). The rules are tentatively on the LCAR agenda for October 18. The link to the final proposal can be found here: http://labor.vermont.gov/legal-information/proposed-rules/. It is the next to last rule […]
Reduction in Taxable Wage Base for Unemployment Insurance Announced for 2019
On October 4, the Department of Labor announced that, beginning January 1, 2019, employers will see a reduction in the taxable wage base amount that they currently pay on unemployment taxes by $2,000. Nearly 22,600 employers remit state unemployment taxes to the Department of Labor on an annual basis. These taxes are deposited into the […]
On the Wire | News & Analysis from the Web for the Week of October 1
New NAM Outlook Survey: 2018 on Pace for Record-High Year of Manufacturer Optimism Following Tax and Regulatory Reform. NAM 10/5 “On the heels of yet another positive employment report showing 18,000 manufacturing jobs were created in September, the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) today released the results of the Manufacturers’ Outlook Survey for the third quarter […]
Residential and Commercial Building Energy Standards Updates
The following are updates and reminders regarding the 2019 RBES and CBES update process. All of the links below can be found on the Department of Public Service’s Building Energy Standards Update Page. First, revised versions of the proposed 2019 RBES have been posted on the PSD website at the following links: [Link to clean redline […]
Highlights of Recent Federal Developments Related to Labor and Workplace Issues
The following are recent notes on federal developments related to labor and workplace issues provided in cooperation with our national allies at NAM. For more information, contact us at info@aivt.org. EEOC Releases Preliminary FY 2018 Sexual Harassment Data The EEOC recently announced preliminary data for Fiscal Year 2018 regarding sexual harassment. The report notes that […]
Labor Relations Board Opening
In accordance with the provisions of 3 VSA 921, the Commissioner of Labor and the Labor Board Review Panel are reopening nominations for a vacant neutral seat on the Vermont Labor Relations Board. The deadline for the receipt of nominations is Wednesday, October 17, 2018. Qualified candidates’ names will be submitted by the Panel to […]
2019 Minimum Wage Update
The minimum wage in Vermont is scheduled to increase to $10.78 on January 1, 2019. An updated minimum wage poster for workplaces can be found here: http://labor.vermont.gov/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/Minimum-Wage-Poster.pdf.
New Federal Compliance Assistance Website: employer.gov
The US Department of Labor recently released a new website — www.employer.gov— as a resource for employers to have a plain language explanation of the various safety, contractor, discrimination, and wage laws that are applicable at the federal level. This new website joins the already existing worker website — www.worker.gov — that informs workers of the rights […]