On January 13, 2021, the Virginia Safety and Health Codes Board (VSHCB) approved a measure implementing permanent workplace safety measures in response to COVID-19. Previously in May 2020, Virginia became the first state to issue temporary COVID-19 workplace safety standards when Governor Ralph Northam issued an executive order requiring most private employers provide personal protective equipment to their employees, ensure social distancing in the workplace, and sanitize workstations, among other measures. For more information on Virginia’s emergency workplace safety rules, please see FordHarrison’s July 17 and July 29, 2020 Legal Alerts.
Articles Discussing General Topics In Virginia Labor & Employment Law.
Virginia Passes Permanent Standard on COVID-19
The Virginia Safety and Health Codes Board enacted a Permanent Standard on COVID-19 in workplaces in a 9-4 vote on January 13, 2021.
Will Virginia’s COVID-19 Pandemic Standard Become Permanent?
On July 15, 2020, Virginia became the first state in the nation to promulgate an Emergency Temporary Standard to address COVID-19 in workplaces. Even with vaccine deliveries on the way, Virginia has proposed a Permanent Standard for consideration by the Virginia Safety and Health Codes Board (which includes author Courtney Malveaux).
New Virginia Executive Order Expands Face Covering Requirements, Restricts Gatherings
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam has issued Executive Order Number Seventy-Two, expanding face covering requirements, reducing allowable social gatherings, and directing Virginians to remain at home after midnight.
Virginia Imposes New COVID-Related Restrictions on Individuals and Businesses
In the face of rising numbers of COVID-19 cases, on December 10, 2020, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam issued Executive Order (EO) 72, imposing new restrictions on individuals and businesses in the Commonwealth effective Monday December 14, 2020, through January 31, 2021. The new restrictions include a modified stay-at-home order,
Virginia COVID-19 Restrictions and Workplace Standards Challenged by Manufacturers’ Association
A manufacturers’ association and several employers have filed a lawsuit to enjoin Virginia’s Emergency Temporary Standard for Infectious Disease Prevention related to COVID-19, which the Virginia Safety and Health Codes Board adopted on July 15, 2020.
Have You Started Your COVID-19 Training and Infectious Disease Plan In Virginia?
Virginia recently enacted its Emergency Temporary Standard for COVID-19. The standard’s requirement that employers train workers came and went on August 26, 2020. Virginia Occupational Safety and Health expects employers to complete their Infectious Disease Preparedness and Response Plans no later than September 25, 2020.
Virginia Enacts Pregnancy Antidiscrimination Law Imposing Mandatory Requirements on Employers
The labor and employment law revolution in the Commonwealth of Virginia has provided robust protection against unlawful discrimination as well as a comprehensive enforcement scheme. As part of that revolution, the state enacted Senate Bill 712, which amended the Virginia Human Rights Act (VHRA) to require a covered employer to
Virginia Issues Guidance in Support of Emergency Temporary Standard for the COVID-19 Pandemic
Executive Summary: As first discussed in our July 17, 2020 alert, the Department of Labor and Industry’s (DOLI) Virginia Occupational Safety and Health (VOSH) Program and the Virginia Safety and Health Codes Board have adopted an Emergency Temporary Standard for the COVID-19 Pandemic (ETS). The ETS, which went into effect on July 27, 2020, applies to all private, state, and local government employers and employees covered by VOSH jurisdiction.
Virginia Issues COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard
On July 15, 2020, the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry’s Safety and Health Codes Board approved an Emergency Temporary Standard for COVID-19 to be enforced by the Virginia Occupational Safety and Health program (VOSH). Virginia is the first state to adopt a specific standard intended to protect workers and
The New Virginia Emergency Workplace Standard for COVID-19 Is Here
Virginia has published its highly anticipated first-in-the-nation emergency temporary standard for COVID-19 in the workplace.
Employers may obtain a copy by clicking here.
If you have questions or need assistance in an OSHA or VOSH matter, please reach out to a member of the Jackson Lewis Workplace Safety and Health
Virginia Becomes First in Nation to Adopt Emergency Workplace Safety Rules in Response to COVID-19
Executive Summary: In what Virginia Governor Ralph Northam described as a response to an “absence of federal guidelines,” Virginia became the first state in the U.S. to establish and implement emergency workplace safety standards in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Virginia is the First State to Implement COVID-19 Emergency Standard
On July 15, 2020, Virginia became the first state in the nation to implement an emergency temporary standard (“ETS”) to address the COVID-19 pandemic. The ETS covers every employer in the Commonwealth and includes mandatory requirements for all employers (with additional requirements for workplaces with certain exposure risk levels),
Virginia Passes First-In-Nation OSHA Standard for COVID-19
In a split vote, the Virginia Safety and Health Codes Board passed a first-in-the-nation standard to address COVID-19 in workplaces.
New Virginia Wage and Hour and Pregnancy Discrimination/Accommodation Laws Effective July 1, 2020 Significantly Expand Employees’ Rights
Businesses of all sizes have, understandably, been consumed by how to address the numerous pressing issues that the COVID-19 pandemic has wrought. As a result, it can be easy to lose sight of the dramatic changes to Virginia employment law, which have created a significantly more employee-friendly venue as
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