Vermont
For Vermont, what the law prohibits is (a) An employer, or an employer’s agent, shall not discharge, discipline, penalize, or otherwise discriminate against, or threaten to discharge, discipline, penalize, or otherwise discriminate against, an employee: (1) because the employee declines: (A) to attend or participate in an employer-sponsored meeting that has the primary purpose of communicating the employer’s opinion about religious or political matters; or (B) to view or participate in communications with or from the employer or the employer’s agent that have the primary purpose of communicating the employer’s opinion about religious or political matters; or (2) as a means of requiring an employee to: (A) attend an employer-sponsored meeting that has the primary purpose of communicating the employer’s opinion about religious or political matters; or (B) view or participate in communications with or from the employer or the employer’s agent that have the primary purpose of communicating the employer’s opinion about religious or political matters; enforcement is (f)(1) The penalty and enforcement provisions of section 495b of this subchapter shall apply to this section; statute is 21 V.S.A. § 495o; effective date is July 1, 2024, recorded from its source on 2026-09-02.
- State
- Vermont our reading
- What the law prohibits
- (a) An employer, or an employer’s agent, shall not discharge, discipline, penalize, or otherwise discriminate against, or threaten to discharge, discipline, penalize, or otherwise discriminate against, an employee: (1) because the employee declines: (A) to attend or participate in an employer-sponsored meeting that has the primary purpose of communicating the employer’s opinion about religious or political matters; or (B) to view or participate in communications with or from the employer or the employer’s agent that have the primary purpose of communicating the employer’s opinion about religious or political matters; or (2) as a means of requiring an employee to: (A) attend an employer-sponsored meeting that has the primary purpose of communicating the employer’s opinion about religious or political matters; or (B) view or participate in communications with or from the employer or the employer’s agent that have the primary purpose of communicating the employer’s opinion about religious or political matters. verified
- Exceptions
- (c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit an employer that is a religious or denominational institution or organization, or any organization operated for charitable or educational purposes, that is operated, supervised, or controlled by or in connection with a religious organization, from: (1) communicating with its employees regarding the employer’s opinion on religious matters; (2) requiring its employees to attend a meeting regarding the employer’s opinion on religious matters; or (3) requiring its employees to view or participate in communications from the employer or the employer’s agent regarding the employer’s opinion on religious matters. (d) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit an employer that is a political organization, a political party, or an organization that engages, in substantial part, in political matters from: (1) communicating with its employees regarding the employer’s opinion on political matters; (2) requiring its employees to attend a meeting regarding the employer’s opinion on political matters; or (3) requiring its employees to view or participate in communications from the employer or the employer’s agent regarding the employer’s opinion on political matters. (e) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit an employer or the employer’s agent from: (1) communicating information to an employee: (A) that the employer is required to communicate pursuant to State or federal law; or (B) that is necessary for the employee to perform the employee’s job functions or duties; (2) requiring an employee to attend a meeting to discuss issues related to the employer’s business or operation when the discussion is necessary for the employee to perform the employee’s job functions or duties; or (3) offering meetings, forums, or other communications about religious or political matters for which attendance or participation is entirely voluntary. verified
- Enforcement
- (f)(1) The penalty and enforcement provisions of section 495b of this subchapter shall apply to this section. verified
- Statute
- 21 V.S.A. § 495o our reading
- Effective date
- July 1, 2024 verified
Values marked our reading are our classification of what the source says — the source does not print them in those words. The quote below is the evidence for each one; judge it yourself.
What the source says
(a) An employer, or an employer’s agent, shall not discharge, discipline, penalize, or otherwise discriminate against, or threaten to discharge, discipline, penalize, or otherwise discriminate against, an employee: (1) because the employee declines: (A) to attend or participate in an employer-sponsored meeting that has the primary purpose of communicating the employer’s opinion about religious or political matters; or (B) to view or participate in communications with or from the employer or the employer’s agent that have the primary purpose of communicating the employer’s opinion about religious or political matters; or (2) as a means of requiring an employee to: (A) attend an employer-sponsored meeting that has the primary purpose of communicating the employer’s opinion about religious or political matters; or (B) view or participate in communications with or from the employer or the employer’s agent that have the primary purpose of communicating the employer’s opinion about religious or political matters.
— legislature.vermont.gov, retrieved 2026-09-02
Where each value comes from
This source states these in separate places, so each value is shown with the passage that states it.
What the law prohibits
(a) An employer, or an employer’s agent, shall not discharge, discipline, penalize, or otherwise discriminate against, or threaten to discharge, discipline, penalize, or otherwise discriminate against, an employee: (1) because the employee declines: (A) to attend or participate in an employer-sponsored meeting that has the primary purpose of communicating the employer’s opinion about religious or political matters; or (B) to view or participate in communications with or from the employer or the employer’s agent that have the primary purpose of communicating the employer’s opinion about religious or political matters; or (2) as a means of requiring an employee to: (A) attend an employer-sponsored meeting that has the primary purpose of communicating the employer’s opinion about religious or political matters; or (B) view or participate in communications with or from the employer or the employer’s agent that have the primary purpose of communicating the employer’s opinion about religious or political matters.
Exceptions
(c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit an employer that is a religious or denominational institution or organization, or any organization operated for charitable or educational purposes, that is operated, supervised, or controlled by or in connection with a religious organization, from: (1) communicating with its employees regarding the employer’s opinion on religious matters; (2) requiring its employees to attend a meeting regarding the employer’s opinion on religious matters; or (3) requiring its employees to view or participate in communications from the employer or the employer’s agent regarding the employer’s opinion on religious matters. (d) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit an employer that is a political organization, a political party, or an organization that engages, in substantial part, in political matters from: (1) communicating with its employees regarding the employer’s opinion on political matters; (2) requiring its employees to attend a meeting regarding the employer’s opinion on political matters; or (3) requiring its employees to view or participate in communications from the employer or the employer’s agent regarding the employer’s opinion on political matters. (e) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit an employer or the employer’s agent from: (1) communicating information to an employee: (A) that the employer is required to communicate pursuant to State or federal law; or (B) that is necessary for the employee to perform the employee’s job functions or duties; (2) requiring an employee to attend a meeting to discuss issues related to the employer’s business or operation when the discussion is necessary for the employee to perform the employee’s job functions or duties; or (3) offering meetings, forums, or other communications about religious or political matters for which attendance or participation is entirely voluntary.
Enforcement
(f)(1) The penalty and enforcement provisions of section 495b of this subchapter shall apply to this section.
Statute
(Cite as: 21 V.S.A. § 495o) § 495o. Employer communications relating to religious or political matters; employee rights
Effective date
(Added 2023, No. 117 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. July 1, 2024.)
— all from legislature.vermont.gov, retrieved 2026-09-02
Source
- legislature.vermont.govhttps://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/21/005/00495o