Compliance Stuff

Effective July 1, 2026, Virginia has enacted a new pay transparency law requiring employers with Virginia employees to disclose compensation ranges and follow new restrictions on salary history. The law applies broadly and creates both enforcement risk and private litigation exposure. Employers with employees in Virginia should act now to ensure compliance with the new pay transparency law. What the Virginia Law Requires Set and disclose good ‑ faith pay ranges in postings. Employers must disclose the wage, salary, or wage/salary range in each public and internal posting for each job, promotion, transfer, or other employment opportunity, and must set that range in good faith. Do not seek or rely on salary history. Employers may not seek an applicant’s wage or salary history, rely on it in considering the person for employment, or rely on it to set pay upon hire with a limited exception: If the candidate voluntarily discloses their salary history, without prompting after an initial o...

Key Points Virginia’s HB 636/SB 215 will bar employers from seeking or relying on wage or salary history and will require good-faith wage or salary ranges in all job postings beginning July 1, 2026.  SB 170 and HB 627/SB 128 will make noncompetes unenforceable after without-cause discharge absent disclosed severance and will sharply limit restrictive covenants for health care professionals as of July 1, 2026.  HB 1/SB 1 will raise Virginia’s minimum wage to $12.77, $13.75, and $15.00 per hour in annual steps through January 2029, with later increases set by the commissioner.  HB 238 will expand Virginia wage statutes by broadening the definitions of “employer” and “wages,” enhancing remedies and collective actions, and imposing new public-works recordkeeping and joint-and-several liability requirements.  HB 1207/SB 2 will create a statewide paid family and medical leave insurance program effective April 1, 2028, requiring employer contributions to a state fund unless...

The Virginia Covenants Not To Compete poster has been updated. The Virginia Covenants Not To Compete poster has been updated to reflect an amendment to the law. T he new law prohibits employers from enforcing noncompete agreements against employees terminated without cause, unless the employees receive severance benefits or other monetary payments . The benefits or payments must be disclosed to the employees upon execution of the noncompete. This posting appears on the Virginia Combination Poster. This is a mandatory change. Statutory language regarding this posting: Senate Bill 170, signed by Governor Abigail Spanberger on April 13, 2026, prohibits employers from enforcing noncompete agreements against employees who are terminated by employers without cause, unless the employers provide severance benefits or other monetary payment to the employees in connection with termination. These benefits or payments must be disclosed to the employees upon execution of the covenant not to compete...

Takeaways A new Virginia law expands paid sick leave to nearly all employees, with phased coverage beginning 07/01/27. Employees accrue at least one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked (up to 40 hours annually) , with carryover required and expanded permissible uses . Employers should review and update leave policies and payroll systems as well as prepare for new notice and compliance requirements. Related links Virginia SB199 - 2026 Regular Session Virginia Paid Sick Leave for Home Health Workers Virginia Employers Face Major Workplace Policy Shifts Under New Gov’t Leadership: How to Prepare Now Article Virginia’s 2026 General Assembly was one of the busiest seasons for employers. A bill expanding paid sick leave requirements to nearly all Virginia employees by 2029 was signed by Gov. Abigail Spanberger on May 20, 2026. Virginia first adopted paid sick leave requirements in 2021 ( Virginia’s Paid Sick Leave Law ) for home health workers. Now, SB199 /HB5 will significantl...

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...

Joining approximately twenty-five other state or local jurisdictions, two states—Maine and Virginia—have enacted new pay transparency requirements slated to take effect in July 2026. Virginia’s House Bill (HB) 636 / Senate Bill (SB) 215 takes effect on July 1, 2026, and Maine’s Legislative Document (LD) 54 becomes effective on July 29, 2026. 00:00 10:50 Though neither Virginia nor Maine requires the disclosure of benefits information, both states’ laws require employers to disclose compensation information in job postings . Further, they continue the trend of the laws varying in nuanced and significant ways. For example, Maine imposes a ten-employee coverage threshold for purposes of its job posting requirements, and also incorporates recordkeeping and employee-request obligations; Virginia combines its p osting requirements with a salary history ban, anti-retaliation protections, and, importantly, a dual-enforcement scheme that includes a private right of action but limits civil p...