Virginia State Law Update - July 2026
Staying up to date on the laws in your state is critical.
The following laws either go into effect 7/1 or are important notices about upcoming Virginia state labor laws:
New non-competes are barred for health care professionals licensed or certified by the Boards of Medicine, Nursing, Counseling, Optometry, Psychology, and Social Work, and existing agreements entered before July 1, 2026 are generally grandfathered unless amended or renewed.
If a non-compete is used after July 1, 2026 for a termination without cause, Virginia requires severance or other monetary payment to be disclosed at signing; threats to enforce unlawful provisions can trigger penalties.
For clinic leaders, non-competes are no longer a reliable way to protect patient relationships, so retention should shift toward culture, pay, scheduling, and development.
The revised Virginia Human Rights Act applies to employers with at least five employees, giving workers more time to file claims and increasing the need for clean anti-discrimination and harassment processes.
Health insurance plans issued on or after January 1, 2027 must cover menopause and perimenopause symptoms, unless the plan is self-insured.
Virginia’s paid sick leave law starts in phases: 50+ employees in 2027, 25+ in 2028, and 1–24 in 2029; employees accrue 1 hour for every 30 worked, up to 40 hours annually.
The state’s paid family and medical leave program will provide up to 12 weeks of benefits funded by payroll contributions, which will add administration and budgeting complexity.
Minimum wage rises to $13.75 on January 1, 2027 and $15 on January 1, 2028, so practices should expect wage compression and review pay bands now.
Virginia’s wage enforcement rules are stronger, with collective actions, a 14-day cure period, broader wage definitions, and longer record-retention expectations.
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