Protect Virginia's Business and Legal Climates

Although several harmful proposals have been defeated this session, several bills that would significantly increase employer liability, impose costly mandates, and raise litigation risk are still moving in the General Assembly:

HB 930 - Increasing employer liability and litigation exposure
HB 238 / SB 644 - New overtime wage and worker misclassification rules
SB 2 / HB 1207 - Mandatory paid family and medical leave program
SB 199 / HB 5 - Mandating paid sick leave
SB 229 / HB 449 - Allowing class action lawsuits in Virginia courts

Individually, each of these proposals would impose new costs and create litigation risk for Virginia employers. As a group, these bills represent a concerning shift toward expanded liability and prescriptive workplace regulation that will make it more expensive for employers to hire, invest, and grow in Virginia.

These bills are still moving. Decisions made in the coming weeks could shape Virginia’s economic competitiveness for years to come. Policymakers need to hear directly from business leaders about the real-world impact of these proposals.

Your voice matters. Use the tool on this page to send a message to key legislators and administration officials about the legislation listed above. It takes less than a minute, and personalized messages about how these bills would affect your business are especially impactful.

Take action now

What's your district & how can legislators reach you?

Tell us about yourself

Your Message to the legislators

Dear (name and title inserted automatically),

Thank you for your service to the people of the Commonwealth of Virginia. I write to express serious concerns regarding several bills that remain under consideration following crossover and their potential impact on employers, employees, and overall affordability across Virginia.

Although each of these bills are individually concerning, taken together they would significantly expand employer liability, increase litigation risk, and impose costly new mandates on Virginia employers of all sizes and in all industries. Should these bills pass into law, the cost of doing business in the Commonwealth would substantially increase. Together, the legislation listed below would raise the cost of employing Virginians, discourage hiring and expansion, and ultimately increase consumer prices, directly undermining goals to make life more affordable for all Virginians.

In particular, I urge your careful review and consideration of the following bills:

HB 930 – Catastrophically expand employer liability under Virginia’s whistleblower protection framework, creating broad avenues for potential litigation and creating legal uncertainty for employers in all industries. As passed by the House, businesses risk significant financial exposure for routine management decisions related to performance expectations and workplace policies, making everyday actions grounds for costly litigation.

HB 238 / SB 644 – Establish new overtime wage and worker misclassification provisions that significantly increase compliance complexity and potential liability, even for employers acting in good faith within an already complex federal and state wage-and-hour framework. Virginia passed similar legislation in 2021, only to immediately reverse course in 2022 due to the confusion the legislation created for all stakeholders.

SB 2 / HB 1207 – Create a paid family and medical leave program estimated to cost Virginians more than $1.5 billion annually. The cost would place substantial financial pressure on employers while also requiring new state administrative structures, creating direct budgetary implications and indirect complications for hiring, wages, and overall business investment in the Commonwealth.

SB 199 / HB 5 – Establish a statewide paid sick leave mandate that applies broadly across industries and across business sizes, limiting workplace flexibility and imposing new payroll and compliance costs that will be especially challenging for Virginia’s small business community.

SB 229 / HB 449 – Allow class action lawsuits in Virginia courts, increasing litigation exposure and legal costs for employers. This proposal is particularly concerning in combination with the bills listed above, as well as others, that create new private rights of action against Virginia businesses. Most troubling, the legislation differs significantly from class action rules in other states and federal courts, including a lack of a meaningful summary judgment, leaving employers vulnerable to high costs from meritless claims.

Individually, each of these bills represent a significant policy shift. Together, they signal a trend toward expanded litigation, increased employer liability, and prescriptive mandates on businesses that will raise the cost of doing business. At a time when affordability remains a central concern for Virginians, policies that increase operating costs and legal exposure will produce the opposite of their intended effects. No business wants to increase costs, but greater liability risks and new mandates inevitably force difficult decisions affecting hiring, wages, investment, and prices. Virginia already ranks in the bottom half of all states for business affordability, and the added cost pressures from these bills will only exacerbate that challenge.

I respectfully urge you to carefully consider the real-world economic impact of these bills as they move forward. Virginia’s position as a top state for business and a national and global leader in economic growth depends on avoiding policies that impose substantial direct and indirect costs on Virginia businesses.

Thank you for your time and thoughtful consideration of these concerns.