On Labor Day in Richmond, Virginia, Governor Abigail Spanberger stood before dozens of newly signed bills and said the quiet part out loud: a good day's work should let you stay home when you're sick without losing your paycheck. That idea is now state law, and it's changing how millions of Virginians work, care for their families, and get paid.
Over the past year, Spanberger's administration has pushed through a package of workplace protections that touch nearly every corner of working life. The biggest change is a brand-new paid family and medical leave program. Eventually, workers will be able to take up to 12 weeks off to welcome a new child, care for a sick loved one, or recover from an illness themselves — all without watching their bank accounts shrink. It's a safety net that many workers, especially new parents and those caring for aging relatives, have never had.
There's also a new statewide paid sick leave policy that covers both full-time and part-time workers. For every 30 hours you work, you earn one hour of paid sick time, up to five days a year. The one exception: companies that already fold sick leave into their broader paid time off are excluded, so businesses that were already doing right by their people aren't double-charged. "We are making clear that a fair day's work comes with the dignity of being able to stay home when you are sick or need to care for a sick family member," Spanberger said.
The state is also lifting the minimum wage, with a goal of $15 an hour by 2028. And the changes go beyond wages. Employers in Virginia can no longer ask job candidates how much they made at their last job, and every job posting must now include salary information — a move that helps close pay gaps and takes the guessing out of applying for work. Enforcement against wage theft is being strengthened too, meaning the rules actually have teeth.
Some of the most vulnerable workers got specific protections. Healthcare workers are now shielded from noncompete agreements that could have trapped them in jobs they wanted to leave. Farm workers gain minimum-wage protections for the first time, and homecare workers receive extra overtime protections.
For Spanberger, all of this adds up to one larger goal: giving workers more security and more power on the job. "Every day, Virginians get up and go to work caring for our neighbors, building our communities, educating our children, keeping businesses moving, protecting our workplaces, strengthening our economy, and creating opportunities for the next generation," she said. As these laws take hold in the coming years, Virginia is betting that treating workers with dignity isn't just good for people — it's good for building a state where everyone can thrive.