The 2024 session of the Virginia General Assembly has come to a close, and as with its 2023 session, which saw relatively little action with regard to employment legislation, there were relatively few employment-related bills...more
6/7/2024
/ Age Discrimination ,
Cannabis Products ,
Discrimination ,
Drug Testing ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
General Assembly ,
Governor Vetoes ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Medical Marijuana ,
New Legislation ,
Proposed Legislation ,
State Legislatures ,
Veterans ,
Virginia
Virginia, historically reliant on the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) to govern overtime obligations, passed its first stand-alone overtime law in March 2021. The Virginia Overtime Wage Act (VOWA), went into effect...more
Historically, Virginia has not had a standalone overtime law, instead relying on the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) to provide protections to employees who work more than 40 hours a week. But that will change on...more
In the face of rising numbers of COVID-19 cases, on December 10, 2020, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam issued Executive Order (EO) 72, imposing new restrictions on individuals and businesses in the Commonwealth effective...more
Maryland Governor Hogan moved the state into Stage Three of its reopening plan on September 4, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. in Order 20-09-01-01. This move permits practically all Maryland businesses to open, including theaters. ...more
9/10/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Health and Safety ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Non-Essential Businesses ,
Public Gatherings ,
Public Health ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Seating ,
Workplace Safety
Businesses of all sizes have, understandably, been consumed by how to address the numerous pressing issues that the COVID-19 pandemic has wrought. As a result, it can be easy to lose sight of the dramatic changes to Virginia...more
7/8/2020
/ Administrative Remedies ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Double Damages ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Governor Northam ,
Pregnancy Discrimination ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Sex Discrimination ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that the District would move into Phase Two of its reopening plan on June 22, 2020. Maryland has also expanded Stage Two of its reopening plan....more
7/1/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Non-Essential Businesses ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Retailers ,
Return-to-Work Agreements ,
State and Local Government ,
Workplace Safety
On June 2, 2020, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam issued Executive Order 65 and Order of Public Health Emergency Six (“Executive Order 65”), which is set to take effect at 12:00 a.m. on Friday, June 5, 2020....more
6/5/2020
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Executive Orders ,
Health and Safety ,
Re-Opening Guidelines ,
Retailers ,
Return-to-Work Agreements ,
Risk Management ,
State and Local Government ,
Workplace Safety
Updated June 4, 2020 -
Last week, District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser moved Washington, D.C. to Phase One of the District’s plan for reopening following COVID-19 closures. ...more
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam announced on May 27, 2020 that the Northern Virginia Region, the City of Richmond, and Accomack County – which delayed implementing “Phase One” of the Commonwealth’s reopening protocol by two...more
As the world slowly returns to some semblance of normalcy, the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia recently announced varying plans as to when they will reopen and what reopening will look like. Virginia previously...more
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...more
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...more
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....more
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...more
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. ...more
On March 30, 2020, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam issued Executive Order 55 (“the Order”), which incrementally increases the restrictions previously placed on Virginia businesses and residents in response to the current...more
Employers of all sizes are facing unforeseen challenges because of the ongoing public health pandemic resulting from the spread of COVID-19. ...more
In the November 2019 election Virginia gained a Democratic “trifecta”—both legislative chambers and the governorship are now controlled by one political party. It has been over two decades since Democratic lawmakers...more
1/7/2020
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Ban the Box ,
Collective Bargaining ,
Compensation & Benefits ,
Criminal Background Checks ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Dress Codes ,
Employee Rights ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) ,
Hairstyle Discrimination ,
Human Rights Act ,
Labor Reform ,
Labor Regulations ,
Labor Relations ,
Leave of Absence ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Marijuana ,
Minimum Wage ,
New Legislation ,
Paid Leave ,
Pay Discrimination ,
Pending Legislation ,
Pregnancy Discrimination ,
Prevailing Wages ,
Race Discrimination ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Right to Work ,
Salaried Employees ,
Salary/Wage History ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws ,
Tipped Employees ,
Tips ,
Unions ,
Wage and Hour ,
Wages