Urgent Action Needed — HB5/SB 199 Heads Back to the Governor's Desk

The General Assembly rejected Governor Spanberger's amendments to HB5/SB199 (Paid Sick Leave). The original bill, without the employer-friendly provisions we helped secure, now heads back to her desk.Gone are the four-hour leave increments, the narrowed "family member" definition, the one-year statute of limitations, and the cure period for employers who correct violations. What returns is a broader mandate with greater enforcement exposure and less flexibility for managing short, undocumented absences.The Governor has 30 days to sign, veto, or let the bill become law. Now is the time to make your voice heard.We urge you to contact Governor Spanberger directly and ask her to veto HB5/SB199 in its current form or push for the administrative guardrails businesses need to comply.

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Your Message to the legislators

Dear (name and title inserted automatically),

I’m writing to you as a small Virginia business owner to thank you for the meeting your administration had with Virginia Retail Federation to discuss paid sick leave, and for the necessary amendments you sent back to the General Assembly. Unfortunately, your recommendations were rejected, which is why I’m writing to respectfully ask you to veto the paid sick leave bills HB5 and SB199.

The list below highlights several reasons why this policy will be costly and extremely burdensome, leaving small businesses across Virginia to make hard decisions, such as letting employees go or removing benefits already in place, even if employees prefer them.

HB5 / SB199 – Paid sick leave mandate. This proposal would directly impact payroll costs, administrative responsibilities, and long-term financial forecasting for small businesses across Virginia.

Legislative mandates include:

· Employers must provide 1 hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked
· Applies to full-time and part-time employees (including seasonal workers)
· Accrual tracking required
· Leave paid at the employee’s regular rate
· Intended for short-term needs such as illness, medical appointments, or caring for a sick family member

Therefore, I respectfully ask that, given your prior amendments were rejected, you now veto HB5 and SB199.