Spanberger approved a statewide sick leave accrual mandate while rejecting proposed amendments to the Virginia Human Rights Act.
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger has signed legislation establishing a statewide paid sick leave requirement while vetoing companion bills that would have added menopause and perimenopause protections to state anti-discrimination law. The enacted measure, House Bill (HB) 5, creates a uniform accrual system applicable to most Virginia workers and employers, with implementation set for 2027. Separately, the vetoed legislation—HB 1173 and Senate Bill (SB) 258—would have amended the Virginia Human Rights Act to prohibit menopause-related discrimination and require accommodation, as well as mandate a statewide study.
Paid sick leave legislation enacted. On May 20, 2026, Spanberger signed HB 5, which establishes a statutory paid sick leave program covering salaried, full-time, and part-time employees across the Commonwealth. The law requires employers to provide workers with one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, capped at five days per year. The benefit extends to categories of workers who previously lacked access to paid sick leave, with the governor’s office estimating that more than one million workers will be covered under the new framework.
The measure establishes a uniform accrual methodology rather than mandating a frontloaded leave benefit, creating a baseline entitlement for paid sick leave across industries. The accrual...
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