Tag Archives: Virginia

Employee Disability and Cannabis Oil Protections Set to Take Effect in Virginia

By Guy Brenner and Shanice Z. Smith-Banks on June 24, 2021 Posted in Workplace Policies and Procedures

Quick Hit: Two new laws in Virginia providing disability discrimination protections and protections for medicinal use of cannabis oil for employees go into effect July 1, 2021. Key Takeaway: Virginia, once known as a jurisdiction with very few state employment laws, is quickly changing that reputation with the passage of numerous new laws since the … Continue Reading

Virginia Becomes First State to Adopt Mandatory COVID-19 Workplace Safety Requirements

By Lexie Reynolds, Caroline Guensberg and Guy Brenner on July 17, 2020 Posted in Coronavirus, Workplace Safety

Quick Hit Virginia became the first state to issue mandatory COVID-19 workplace safety rules when the Virginia Safety and Health Codes Board (“VSHCB”) approved an emergency temporary standard on July 15, 2020 by a 9-2 vote. The final text has not yet been published but the mandatory requirements are expected to include obligations surrounding flexible … Continue Reading

Addressing and Preventing Workplace Violence

By Katharine Parker and Rachel Fischer on September 2, 2015 Posted in Workplace Policies and Procedures

The subject of workplace violence has unfortunately made headlines once again after a news anchor and cameraman were killed by a former co-worker in Virginia last week. Employers are understandably concerned and have questions about what they can do to help prevent workplace violence. The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) requires employers to maintain … Continue Reading

“Ban the Box” Trend Continues Across the Country

By Daniel Saperstein and Katharine Parker on May 21, 2015 Posted in Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation, Hiring/Background Checks, Workplace Policies and Procedures

The “ban the box” movement—which seeks to remove questions about criminal history from an employer’s initial employment application—continues to cut across geographic and political divides. In March and April, we blogged about the governors of two Southern states—Republican Governor Nathan Deal of Georgia and Democratic Governor Terrence McAuliffe of Virginia—ordering the removal of the “box” … Continue Reading

Virginia Governor’s Order “Encourages” Private Employers to “Ban the Box”

By Connie Bertram and Daniel Saperstein on April 6, 2015 Posted in Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation, Hiring/Background Checks, Workplace Policies and Procedures

Last week, Virginia Governor Terrence McAuliffe signed an executive order “banning the box” on most state employment applications and “encouraging” private employers and government contractors to do the same. “Ban the box” refers to a legislative and executive trend across the country requiring or encouraging employers to delete the “check box” on job applications asking … Continue Reading

Virginia’s Social Media Law Continues Growing Trend

By Daniel Saperstein and Guy Brenner on March 27, 2015 Posted in Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation, Hiring/Background Checks, Workplace Policies and Procedures

Virginia is now the nineteenth state to provide increased social media protections to prospective and current employees, joining Arkansas, California, Colorado, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin. Effective July 1, 2015, Virginia’s law will prohibit an employer from requiring a prospective … Continue Reading