We Urgently Need Your Voice

The 2026 General Assembly is already underway behind the scenes, with bills being prefiled that directly affect how businesses operate in Virginia. Without business input early in the process, these policies risk moving forward without a clear understanding of their real-world impact.

1. Right-to-Work

Take action (it only takes a minute) to help preserve Virginia’s long-standing Right-to-Work laws. Legislation has already been filed for the 2026 General Assembly session (Senate Bill 32) that would repeal Virginia’s Right-to-Work laws. Send a letter to your legislators today telling them to oppose legislation that would repeal Right-to-Work, urging them to uphold Virginia’s Right-to-Work laws. Your voice matters!

Why it Matters

Credited with helping make the Commonwealth one of the most business-friendly states in the country, these laws have been crucial in attracting businesses and fostering innovation, helping keep Virginia competitive on the national stage. In fact, Virginia has consistently ranked as one of the top states for business.

For more than 75 years, Virginia’s Right-to-Work laws have safeguarded workers’ freedom of choice, ensuring no employee can be forced to join or fund a union as a condition of employment. These laws have helped attract major employers, foster innovation, and create jobs across the Commonwealth.

Maintaining these protections is essential to keeping Virginia competitive, business-friendly, and economically strong.

2. Paid Leave

As expected, Paid Leave will remain a top issue for the 2026 General Assembly. Two bills ( HB 5 and SB 2) have already been filed, with more expected to follow.

What This Means

HB 5 would require employers with six or more employees to provide paid sick leave to all workers, including part-time, seasonal, and temporary employees. Employees would earn one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, up to 40 hours per year, with carryover unless the employer front-loads the full amount.

The bill also creates new administrative requirements. Employers would need to:

• Track all hours worked and leave accrued,
• Retain records for three years,
• Update employee policies, and
• Provide written notice of employee rights.

Documentation could only be required after three consecutive days of absence. Penalties range from $150 to $500 per violation, and employees would have the ability to bring civil actions that include double damages and attorney’s fees.

The proposed effective date is July 1, 2027.

How You Can Help

VRF is seeking input from businesses so that we can better tailor our advocacy during the upcoming Session. Please take the short survey below to help us better understand how the proposed legislation would impact your current programs.