Employee handbook requirements in Virginia (2026)
A compliant Virginia employee handbook layers Virginia-specific policies on top of the
federal baseline.
Below are the 2 Virginia-specific requirements in our library, plus the federal baseline that also applies.
Standard state
2 Virginia-specific items
110 federal baseline items
Virginia-specific handbook requirements
Policies driven by Virginia state law that a handbook should address.
Virginia Paid Sick Leave — Home Health Workers (current) + All-Worker Expansion (July 2027)
Paid Sick Leave
Current VA PSL (through June 2027): applies only to home health workers providing personal care/respite/companion services under consumer-directed Medicaid; 1 hr per 30 hrs; 40-hr annual cap; all employers regardless of size. Expansion effective July 1, 2027 (signed April 2026): extends mandatory PSL to nearly all Virginia private-sector employees.
Authority: VA Code §§ 40.1-33.01 et seq. (home health worker PSL, eff. July 1, 2021); VA DOLI; limited to home health aide employers
Virginia Paid Family and Medical Leave (Signed April 2026 — Benefits Dec 2028)
FMLA / Family Leave
Virginia Governor Spanberger signed PFML April 13, 2026 — Virginia becomes first Southern state with mandatory PFML. State-administered insurance program managed by Virginia Employment Commission (VEC). Timeline: premium rates announced October 2027; payroll contributions begin April 1, 2028; employee benefits begin December 1, 2028. Up to 12 weeks per benefit year.
Authority: VA HB 1786 (2024) (Virginia Paid Family and Medical Leave, signed April 2024); VA Code; contributions begin July 1, 2025; benefits begin Jan 1, 2026
Generate a Virginia-compliant handbook
Pacta builds a federal base plus a Virginia addendum tailored to your company — in minutes, not weeks. Attorney review is available before you distribute it.
Start your Virginia handbook →
See Virginia risk →
Federal requirements that also apply in Virginia
110 federal baseline policies span these areas — every Pacta handbook includes them.
Assignment / Placement Agreement · 10
DOT / FMCSA Compliance · 10
Arbitration Agreement · 8
Code of Conduct · 6
Benefits · 5
Confidentiality · 5
Offer Letter · 5
Employee Classification · 4
Pay / Payroll · 4
Safety / Workers' Comp · 4
Separation / Final Pay · 4
Introduction / At-Will · 3
Timekeeping · 3
Accommodation (Disability) · 2
Assignment Lifecycle · 2
Drug-Free / Alcohol · 2
EEO / Protected Classes · 2
Expense Reimbursement · 2
Harassment · 2
Hiring / Onboarding · 2
Remote Work · 2
Social Media / Recording · 2
Three-Party Relationship · 2
AI Tools · 1
Arbitration · 1
Bereavement · 1
Driving / Vehicles · 1
Emergency Procedures · 1
Employee Records · 1
FMLA / Family Leave · 1
Gifts / Anti-Bribery · 1
Jury Duty Leave · 1
Lactation / Nursing Mothers · 1
Meal / Rest Breaks · 1
Military Leave · 1
Overtime · 1
Paid Sick Leave · 1
Pay Transparency · 1
Pay Transparency Notice · 1
Pregnancy / Parental Leave · 1
Salary Basis / Safe Harbor · 1
Voting Leave · 1
Virginia handbook FAQ
Does Virginia require employers to have an employee handbook?
No U.S. state requires an employee handbook outright. But Virginia requires that a number of employment policies be provided to employees in writing, and a handbook is the standard, defensible way to do that. This page is informational only and is not legal advice.
What does a Virginia employee handbook need to include?
A compliant handbook layers Virginia-specific policies on top of the federal baseline (equal-opportunity, at-will, leave, anti-harassment, pay practices and more). The Virginia-specific items are listed on this page; the exact set depends on your headcount, industry, and the localities you operate in.
How do I create a compliant Virginia handbook?
Pacta's handbook generator builds a federal base plus a Virginia state addendum tailored to your company, then returns a formatted draft you can edit. Every draft must be reviewed by qualified employment counsel before you distribute it to employees.
Handbook requirements in other states
This page is general information about Virginia employment-policy requirements, not legal advice,
and may not reflect the most current law. AI-generated handbooks must be reviewed and approved by qualified
employment counsel licensed in the applicable jurisdiction(s) before distribution to employees.