Will There Be Equity in the Lodging Industry?

Will There Be Equity in the Lodging Industry?

In July, Governor Scott vetoed S.79, an Act Relating to Improving Rental Housing and Safety, which included a short term rental (STR) registry. There was wide disappointment in this action from both advocates and legislators. As a long-time lodging advocate, the Vermont Chamber sees a registry as the next step toward equity and ensuring a safe rental environment.

While the House and Senate will not be attempting to override the Governor’s veto, legislators and advocates have returned to the drafting table to collaborate on a new iteration of the bill which will include efforts to address concerns expressed by select legislators and the Administration. Contact Vermont Chamber Vice President of Tourism Amy Spear with questions.

80/20 Rule In Effect

80/20 Rule In Effect
The DOL’s new tip credit regulations went into effect on December 28th. The regulation states that restaurants cannot take a tip credit for the time spent on tasks considered “directly supporting work” that exceeds 20% of the workweek or 30 continuous minutes. 
 
While the NRA filed an emergency lawsuit in a Texas federal court challenging the rules and asking for an immediate injunction while the case is being considered, it is expected that the court will allow the new regulations to remain in effect until February.
 
It is important to continue to take steps to comply with the new rules. Actions to consider taking include:
  • Conducting an audit of the job duties performed by your tipped employees.
  • Training managers on the new requirements.
  • Implementing new policies and procedures on side work.
  • Changing staffing model to hire new staff to perform side work tasks.
  • Adopting new timekeeping protocols for tipped employees.