Virginia

On May 12, 2020, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam issued Executive Order 62 and Order of Public Health Emergency Four (“Executive Order 62”), which delays the implementation of Phase One of the Commonwealth’s three-phase reopening plan for the Northern Virginia Region until May 29, 2020.

At a press conference on May 4, 2020, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam announced the Commonwealth’s three-phase plan for easing, and eventually lifting, the restrictions imposed on nonessential businesses because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Virginia thus joins the growing number of jurisdictions that h

Prior to the passage of SB 548, Virginia was one of 25 states without an active work-sharing program. On April 22, 2020, Governor Ralph Northam enacted a new work-sharing program, which will permit employers to reduce employees’ normal hours of work between 10% and 60% and permit employees to receiv

On April 22, 2020, the Virginia General Assembly adopted Governor Ralph Northam’s proposed amendment to a bill that will re-establish a work-sharing program in Virginia.1 The amended work-share bill received broad bi-partisan support in both chambers of the legislature. As a result, on January 1, 20

Virginia’s legislation raising the hourly minimum wage has cleared its final hurdle and is set to take effect on May 1, 2021.

On April 22, 2020, during a special legislative session, the Virginia General Assembly voted to approve Governor Ralph Northam’s proposed amendment to a bill that will increase the Commonwealth’s minimum wage to $12.00 per hour by January 1, 2023.

The General Assembly of Virginia has passed legislation to raise the minimum wage in stages to arrive at $15.00 an hour by 2026. Once the General Assembly passes Governor Ralph Northam’s amendments (pushing back the original enactment date), employers must start increasing employees’ minimum wages b

Employee misclassification is the focus of three new laws that passed in the Virginia General Assembly during its 2020 Session and signed by the Governor. One creates a private cause of action. Another prohibits retaliation against employees. The third gives investigative authority to the Department

Virginia has enacted a series of new laws that continue to redefine the employment landscape in the state. In addition to the Virginia Values Act, which fundamentally changes the legal rights and remedies available to employees who sue their employers under the Virginia Human Rights Act, a new compr

On April 15, 2020, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam extended Executive Order 53, which imposes restrictions on nonessential retail businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, for an additional two weeks. In a press briefing, the governor explained that statistical modeling from the University of Virgini

When the Democrats took control of the General Assembly in addition to the governorship in the November 2019 election, many predicted an expansion of workers’ rights. That prediction was realized with the 2020 Virginia General Assembly session. This included the recent passage and enactment of four

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam has signed a comprehensive whistleblower protection law, the first of its kind for Virginia. The Whistleblower Law becomes effective on July 1, 2020.

Clarifying months of confusion, the Virginia General Assembly has passed HB 689, effective July 1, 2020, requiring employers in Virginia to report on employees’ wage statements the number of hours worked during the pay period if the employee is paid on the basis of (i) the number of hours worked or

Effective July 1, 2020, the Virginia Values Act expands the scope of the Virginia Human Rights Act to prohibit discrimination in employment and housing on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. The new law also fundamentally changes the legal rights and remedies available to employees

Executive Summary: As the COVID-19 outbreak continues to affect business around the country, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam issued Executive Order Fifty-Five on Monday, March 30, 2020, ordering all Virginians to stay at their place of residence unless leaving their homes to obtain food, supplies, o

On March 30, 2020, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam issued Executive Order Number 55, “Temporary Stay at Home Order Due to Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).”

On March 30, 2020, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam issued Executive Order 55, which incrementally increases the restrictions previously placed on Virginia businesses and residents in response to the current COVID-19 crisis.

In response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam recently issued an executive order closing all K-12 schools through the end of the school year and temporarily closing or restricting public-access areas in non-essential businesses. The EO also limited daycare opera

On March 23, 2020, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam issued Executive Order 53, which places restrictions on the operation of nonessential retail businesses from 11:59 p.m., Tuesday, March 24, 2020 through 11:59 p.m., Thursday, April 23, 2020. The Order also prohibits all public and private in-person

Virginia Governor Ralph Northam has announced Executive Order Number Fifty-Three, putting into place temporary restrictions on restaurants, recreational, entertainment, gatherings, and non-essential retail business. The Order closes K-12 schools for the rest of the school year, becoming the second s