All Virginia workers will be eligible for paid sick leave beginning in July 2027 under new legislation backed by State Sen. Barbara Favola (D-40).
The new law, signed by Gov. Abigail Spanberger yesterday (Wednesday), requires employers to provide both full-time and part-time employees with up to five sick days per year. Workers accrue one hour for every 30 hours worked, and will be able to take time off for either mental or physical illness.
The law will affect about a third of Virginia’s private-sector workforce — 1.2 million private sector workers — who currently lack access to paid sick leave.
“I have carried a paid sick day bill for the past three years because I believe that Virginia workers deserve to be treated with dignity,” Favola, the bill’s chief patron and the chair of the Senate Education and Health Committee, said in a press release. “That means being able to take time off to see a doctor when you are sick without the fear of losing a job and sacrificing the ability to support your family.”
The law doesn’t affect employers with other kinds of paid leave policies, such as paid time off, if they meet the minimum requirements.
Spanberger argued that the law has ripple effects, affecting the health of working people and their families, as well as their ability to contribute to society.
“When working families are forced to come to work when they are sick or choose between caring for a sick child and losing a paycheck, it’s bad for them, their families, their colleagues, and the businesses that depend on healthy, reliable employees,” the governor said. “Today, we are changing that. This law will protect workers, strengthen Virginia businesses, and make our Commonwealth a place where people can build the kind of stable, secure lives they deserve.”
The change puts Virginia about on par with D.C., where employers are required to provide between three and seven sick days per year, depending on the size of a workplace.
The new law is one of several that Spanberger has signed in support of stronger worker protections. Other major changes will allow workers to take up to 12 weeks off for family and medical leave by 2028, and will increase Virginia’s minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2028. However, the governor also vetoed legislation that would’ve allowed public employees to collectively bargain.
