Your pay rights in Vermont

An act relating to disclosure of compensation in job advertisements (Act 155 (2024), H.704) (21 V.S.A. § 495p (pay in job ads); 21 V.S.A. § 495m (pay history ban); enforcement at 21 V.S.A. § 495b)

Job posting rules in effect since July 1, 2025

Vermont employers with 5 or more employees must put the pay, or a good-faith minimum-to-maximum pay range, in written job ads for Vermont jobs. Employers may not ask about your pay history.

Who is covered

Employers with 5 or more employees, at least one of whom works in Vermont (per Attorney General guidance). The rule covers written ads for a specific job that is physically located in Vermont, or a remote job that mainly does work for a Vermont office or worksite. Internal postings count too, such as an email to staff seeking applicants. Oral ads (including radio and TV), general 'We're hiring' notices, and jobs mainly performed for out-of-state locations are not covered.

What a job posting must show

The pay, or the minimum and maximum annual salary or hourly wage the employer expects in good faith to pay when it creates the ad
For jobs paid wholly or partly on commission, a statement that the job is commission-based (a pay range is not required)
For tipped jobs, a statement that the job is tipped, plus the base wage or base wage range (not counting tips)

Pay history

Employers may not ask about your current or past pay, from you or from past employers, or use it to decide whether to interview you. If you share it voluntarily, they may confirm it only after making you an offer.

What you can do

Report a job ad without pay to the Vermont Attorney General's Civil Rights Unit. If the State of Vermont is the employer, report it to the Vermont Human Rights Commission.
You cannot sue an employer yourself over a missing pay range. Only the Attorney General (or the Human Rights Commission for state jobs) enforces that rule.
Employers cannot refuse to interview, hire, promote or employ you because you asserted your rights under this law.
You can still negotiate for pay above the posted range.

Where to report a posting without pay

Vermont Attorney General's Office, Civil Rights Unit (Vermont Human Rights Commission for State of Vermont jobs)

The Attorney General can sue and seek civil penalties and other relief under Vermont's consumer protection law. A court can also order restitution, reinstatement and other relief for an affected worker.

Sources

The consumer protection law the Attorney General enforces under (9 V.S.A. § 2458) allows civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation; the Attorney General's guidance doesn't state an amount for this law. The pay history ban (§ 495m) is enforced under § 495b, which lets affected people sue; the pay-range rule is expressly limited to Attorney General enforcement. The law is sometimes mis-cited as § 495o; the correct section is § 495p. The official text of § 495p shows no amendment since it was added (Act 155 (2024), effective July 1, 2025) as of the last check.