Governor Phil Scott Launches Voluntary Paid Family and Medical Leave Program

Montpelier, Vt. - Governor Phil Scott today announced that the State of Vermont has hired The Hartford to create the Vermont Family and Medical Leave Insurance Plan (VT-FMLI), a voluntary paid family and medical leave program that will give all working Vermonters access to affordable paid family and medical leave insurance by 2025.

The innovative plan, similar to a previously proposed Twin State Voluntary Leave Plan put forward in 2019 with the State of New Hampshire, will be available to employers in 2024, and individuals beginning in 2025. To help make the benefits more affordable, the program will be anchored by the State employee workforce, who will start receiving coverage in July 2023.

“I have long supported paid family and medical leave, provided it is voluntary and affordable,” said Governor Phil Scott. “By enrolling State employees to create a pool, and opening it up to all employers and individuals, I believe we can accomplish our shared goal of providing the peace of mind of paid family and medical leave more efficiently, affordably and quickly than imposing another mandatory broad-based tax on already over-burdened workers. This truly is a win-win. I look forward to its implementation and I encourage Vermont’s employers to join us in this new program.”

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