Triple damages, salary history bans, and a mandatory paid leave program – all in one session
Virginia just rewrote the rules for employers – and HR teams across the Commonwealth are now on the clock.
In its 2026 Reconvened Session, the Virginia General Assembly passed four labor and employment bills that together amount to one of the most significant overhauls of workplace law the state has seen in years. The package covers paid family and medical leave, pay transparency, wage enforcement, and overtime protections for domestic workers. For HR professionals, the message is clear: compliance expectations in Virginia have changed, and the timeline to adapt is tight.
The centerpiece is HB 1207, which establishes a mandatory paid family and medical leave insurance program administered by the Virginia Employment Commission. Under the new law, the Commission must have the program running by January 1, 2028, with payroll contributions starting April 1, 2028, and benefit payments beginning December 1, 2028. Covered workers can receive up to 12 weeks of leave per year at 80 percent of their average weekly wages, capped at the state average. The qualifying reasons for leave are broad – caring for a new child, a family member with a serious health condition, the worker's own health condition, military family needs, and safety services related to domestic violence, sexual assault, harassment, or stalking. The definition of family member extends well beyond the federal standard to...
Image: Facebook/SAPS The IDAC has rubbished rumours that it has a J50 warrant of arrest for KZN provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi as “false”. This comes after re...