Compliance Stuff

On April 22, 2026, Virginia enacted legislation establishing a statewide paid family and medical leave (PFML) insurance program. T he program, which will be administered by the Virginia Employment Commission (VEC), will begin collecting payroll contributions on April 1, 2028 , and will begin accepting applications for benefits on December 1, 2028. The legislation significantly expands access to paid family and medical leave in the commonwealth and will impose new obligations on employers once it becomes effective. The statute creates the basic framework for the program, but many critical details will be established in regulations and guidance to be issued by the VEC before the program launches in 2028. Employers should begin familiarizing themselves with the new requirements now and develop a plan to ensure future compliance as additional guidance becomes available. Benefits Under the New Law Beginning December 1, 2028, covered individuals may apply for PFML benefits for certain qualif...

  States and cities are as busy as ever passing new workplace regulations throughout the calendar year. Here is our mid-year report summarizing the notable labor and employment laws that take effect from roughly July through October.  Virginia Bill / Ordinance / Regulation Main Topic Summary Effective Date Virginia HB 14   Unemployment Provides that an employer waives all rights in connection to unemployment claims where the employer failed to respond in a timely manner. 7/1/2025 Virginia HB 1730 ;  Virginia SB 894 Employer Liability Provides for employer liability for criminal sexual assault by an employee or agent under certain circumstances. 7/1/2025 Virginia HB 2269 ;  Virginia SB 1260 Healthcare Requires hospitals to establish a workplace violence reporting system, including reporting, record retention, and antidiscrimination requirements. 7/1/2025 Virginia SB 1218   Noncompete Agreements Amends the definition of “low wage employee” in the statute proh...

  States and cities are as busy as ever passing new workplace regulations throughout the calendar year. Here is our mid-year report summarizing the notable labor and employment laws that take effect from roughly July through October.  Maine Bill / Ordinance / Regulation Main Topic Summary Effective Date Maine LD 238 (SP 104) Healthcare; Independent Contractor Provides that the Maine Emergency Medical Services Act cannot be construed to prohibit a licensed emergency medical services person from rendering medical services as a volunteer or contractor. 9/3/2025 Maine LD 1157 (HP 762) Unemployment Provides for unemployment benefits during certain training periods; amends the unemployment reporting and payment requirements for employee leasing companies. 9/30/2025 Maine LD 894 (SP 383) Leave of Absence Clarifies intermittent leave requirements under the state's paid family and medical leave law; establishes penalties for delinquent contributions and successor employers who fail to ...

Working from home has become the new norm for many workers. Even before COVID-19 forced businesses to send their employees home, there were around 4 million Americans who worked remotely for at least half of the week. In addition, many companies now see remote or hybrid work as a benefit to attracting and retaining workplace talent. This article covers: Payroll requirements Foreign qualification Permits for your remote employees Tax nexus considerations Classification of remote workers Privacy and data security Workers compensation Unemployment insurance Hybrid employees Properly document working arrangements But there may be additional compliance requirements when an employee works outside a business’ home state. With remote workers, there may be tax implications, new registration requirements, and more. Unfortunately, such considerations are sometimes a surprise to employers who don’t have an HR department or lack an understanding of the implications of having remote employees. Here...