Virginia stepped into the spotlight in 2026, enacting a number of noteworthy employment laws in the first half of the year under a new governor and a new Democratic trifecta. Here’s the highlight reel for private employers:

• Virginia enacted its first law mandating paid leave for nearly all employees. As the first Southeast state to enact a paid sick leave law, it joins 20 states and the District of Columbia that have similar earned paid leave laws.
  
• Virginia is also the first Southeast state to establish a paid family and medical leave insurance program funded by mandatory employer and employee contributions. Virginia joins 13 states and D.C. that have similar programs.
  
• Virginia will raise its minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2028, joining 20 other states and D.C. that are at or above that rate—or will be by 2028.
  
• Virginia expanded its fair employment practices law to cover employers with five or more employees, down from the previous 15-employee threshold. Almost all states and D.C. have an FEP law, and 80% of them have a coverage threshold below 15 employees.
  
• Virginia has joined 16 states and D.C. in requiring employers to provide the pay range for an advertised position. The law also bars employers from asking applicants for their wage or salary history.
  
• Virginia has taken a novel approach to restricting the use of noncompete agreements by making enforceability contingent on the provision of severance or another monetary payment when employees are discharged without...

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