The first quarter filing report window is open. The due date is May 2, 2022.

Electronic payment is the preferred method of payment. Payments made by check should be addressed to:

Submitting forms via email or fax is recommended to ensure timely receipt and to avoid penalties.

Email: Labor.UIClaimsCenter@vermont.gov

Email: Labor.UIAndWages@vermont.gov

Effective with the filing of the report due on May 2, 2022, for the quarter ending March 31, 2022, the taxable wage base is $15,500.

Effective January 1, 2022, Vermont’s minimum wage increased from $11.75 to $12.55 per hour. The basic wage for tipped employees increased to $6.28 per hour. Service or tipped employees are employees who customarily and regularly receive more than $120.00 a month in tips for direct and personal services.

The amount an employer is allowed to deduct from an employee’s wages for meals and lodging has been updated. For information, please visit our webpage at https://labor.vermont.gov/rights-and-wages.

As we are coming out of the winter layoff season, many questions arise regarding return-to-work dates and what constitutes full time work.

Having an accurate date reported to the Department for an unemployment claim is a valuable tool in reducing unemployment fraud and protecting your contribution rate. The unemployment program was designed to provide temporary income support for workers who become unemployed through no fault of their own and who remain actively attached to the labor market. A return-to-work date is a guaranteed date that the worker will return to full time work. The return-to-work date cannot be weather dependent, as that is not guaranteed. The program was not intended to fund a seasonal worker without an expectation that they would find alternative employment during a lengthy seasonal layoff.

The Department recognizes that some seasonal employers are concerned about the ability to retain seasonal workers when they are required to seek work as a condition of receiving unemployment insurance benefits. This can lead employers to provide return to work dates that are weather dependent or intentionally erroneous to keep their worker from having to seek work for as long as possible. 

Employers are currently able to provide a guaranteed return to work date of ten (10) weeks or less. If an employee has a guaranteed return to work date of ten weeks or less, they are not required to conduct a work search. However, if an employer knowingly provides a false return to work date in order to avoid having the employee conduct a work search, the employer will be held liable for that false information. This is typically done by employers providing an initial return to work date of ten weeks or less and then extending the initial period due to weather.

Employers need to be aware that State law provides significant financial penalties for making intentionally false statements when reporting information to the Department. Knowingly providing false information, including premature return to work dates, to the Department may result in an audit of the employer’s business practices.

Full time work is defined as working 35 or more hours in a calendar week. If you are providing a full-time return-to-work date for a new hire or returning employee, the date should reflect the actual first day worked, which may be different than the hire date.

Accuracy in the return-to-work date can reduce or eliminate problems your workers have when could experience. An incorrect date can prevent a claimant from filing a weekly claim if the date the Department has on file is too early and the worker did not actually start work at that time, or is too late, which would allow a worker to file after they had returned to full time work in error. 

If there was an error in the return-to-work date that your employee provided to the Department, you can make corrections by going to the UI Employer Portal on our website, www.labor.vermont.gov.

Vermont’s new hire reporting law requires all Vermont employers to report their new employees to the Vermont Department of Labor within 10 days of the date of hire, as well as rehired employees if their previous employment was terminated at least 60 days prior to their first day of employment. Vermont requires employers to report new hires electronically. 

When any change in your business occurs, this Department must be notified promptly. A delay could result in additional costs to you later. Be sure to report changes such as: