Virginia Employee Handbook

When your company hires employees in Virginia, you are required to comply with federal, state, and local employment laws. There are a variety of human resources and labor policies in the workplace that differ by state. Through your employee handbook, employers can easily document and distribute the correct policies to their employees to comply with the laws of each state.

Creating your Virginia Employee Handbook is a useful way to explain important policies and procedures, mitigate legal risk, and introduce employees to the expectations and operating practices of the organization.

Mosey has compiled the relevant policies a company with employees in Virginia must consider.

Virginia Employee Handbook Policies

There are 7 state and local employee handbook policies in Virginia.

Wage and Hour

Virginia Minimum Wage Policy

You are entitled to a minimum wage of $12.41 per hour as of January 1, 2025. Tipped employees receive $2.13 per hour, with Employer covering the difference if total earnings, including tips, do not meet the $12.41 minimum wage.

Virginia Lactation Break Policy

You are entitled to reasonable break time each day to express breast milk. These breaks will generally align with any existing paid or unpaid breaks and can be adjusted to suit your needs. You may coordinate additional breaks with your supervisor and should make reasonable efforts to minimize disruptions to business operations.

Employer will provide a private, secure, and sanitary location for expressing breast milk, which is not a bathroom and shielded from view. The space will be available whenever you need it.

If providing breaks or space creates undue hardship on business operations, Employer may be exempt. Retaliation or discrimination against employees exercising their rights under this policy is prohibited.

Leaves of Absence

Virginia Jury Duty Leave Policy

You are entitled to job-protected leave to serve as a juror.

Virginia Organ Donation Leave Policy

Employer provides unpaid, job-protected leave for eligible employees of up to 60 business days for organ donation or 30 business days for bone marrow donation within any 12-month period.

Virginia Military Service Leave Policy

You are entitled to unpaid leave to serve in active duty or training as a member of the state or federal military reserves, including as a member of the Virginia National Guard or Virginia State Defense Force.

Privacy

Virginia Electronic Monitoring Policy

Employee should be advised that all telephone conversations or transmissions, electronic mail or transmissions, or internet access or usage by an employee by any electronic device or system, including but not limited to the use of a computer, telephone, wire, radio or electromagnetic, photoelectronic or photo-optical systems may be subject to monitoring.

Virginia Social Media Privacy Policy

Generally, Employer is prohibited from accessing your personal social media accounts and will not discipline or terminate an employee for refusing to disclose their social media login information or for denying to provide access to their social media accounts.

Federal Employee Handbook Policies

Regardless of which states you have employees in, there are required federal policies that must be included in your employee handbook. In addition to any state-specific policies, your employee handbook for Virginia should contain the following federal policies.

• Anti-Harassment Policy
• Anti-Sexual Harassment Policy
• Anti-Retaliation Policy
• Equal Employment Opportunity Policy
• Reasonable Accommodation Policy

Handbook Policy Best Practices

In addition to the required federal policies, the following policies are best practices to include in your employee handbook.

• Prohibited Conduct Policy
• Violations Reporting Policy
• Workplace Violence Prevention Policy
• Weapons Policy
• Disciplinary Action Policy
• At-Will Employment
• Federal Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) Policy