Virginia House Passes Paid Sick Leave Bill
The Virginia House of Delegates has passed a bill mandating paid sick leave for workers statewide, a first for Virginia. Previously, employers set their own sick leave policies. If it passes the Senate, the legislation is expected to affect maternal health workers and improve patient access to prenatal and postpartum care by enhancing job security.
- The bill, HB5, was sponsored by Delegate Kelly Convirs-Fowler and would allow all private and most public sector employees to accrue one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, with a cap of 40 hours per year. If it becomes law, the effective date is slated for July 1, 2027. - Currently, an estimated 76% of Virginia's workforce, or about 3.5 million people, lack any form of paid sick leave. The state's only existing paid sick leave law applies to a narrow category of home health care workers. - Research on the impact of similar state-level mandates has shown a significant increase in prenatal care visits and better birth outcomes, such as higher birth weights and a reduction in preterm births. Studies also link paid leave to lower maternal stress, increased breastfeeding rates, and higher childhood immunization rates. - The legislation would permit leave not only for personal or family member illness but also for needs related to domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking. - Certain healthcare workers, specifically those who work on an as-needed basis ("pro re nata") or who are licensed, registered, or certified and work less than 30 hours per month for specific health facilities, would be exempt or could waive their right to accrue leave. - Business groups have raised concerns about the financial impact, with some analyses suggesting the mandate is equivalent to a 3.3% to 3.7% increase in payroll costs for employers. For a business with a 5% profit margin, this could represent a significant portion of their net profit. - A fiscal impact statement from the Department of Planning and Budget projects that the bill would increase state general fund expenditures by over $14 million and nongeneral fund expenses by approximately $12 million, beginning in fiscal year 2028. - After passing the House of Delegates on a 63-35 vote, the bill is now under consideration in the Virginia Senate. Previous, similar efforts to expand paid sick leave failed to pass, but advocates are hopeful for success with Governor Abigail Spanberger's support.
