Last updated: 2026-09-21.
No State MandateHow Virginia's real statutory thresholds apply to specific employer profiles. Each section re-frames the state law above for one audience — the underlying figures never change, only the lens does.
For employers with fewer than 15 employees: Virginia has no statewide paid sick leave mandate. No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://www.doli.virginia.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Size note: small businesses follow voluntary or local rules only — there is no statewide mandate to trigger. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For employers with 50 or more employees: Virginia has no statewide paid sick leave mandate. No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://www.doli.virginia.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Size note: large employers follow voluntary or local rules only — there is no statewide mandate to trigger. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For restaurant, café, and food-service operators: Virginia has no statewide paid sick leave mandate. No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://www.doli.virginia.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Industry note: restaurants & food service follow voluntary or local rules only — there is no statewide mandate to trigger. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For retail stores, shops, and chains: Virginia has no statewide paid sick leave mandate. No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://www.doli.virginia.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Industry note: retail employers follow voluntary or local rules only — there is no statewide mandate to trigger. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For clinics, hospitals, and healthcare staffing: Virginia has no statewide paid sick leave mandate. No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://www.doli.virginia.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Industry note: healthcare employers follow voluntary or local rules only — there is no statewide mandate to trigger. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For hr teams onboarding new employees: Virginia has no statewide paid sick leave mandate. No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://www.doli.virginia.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Size note: new hires & onboarding follow voluntary or local rules only — there is no statewide mandate to trigger. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For restaurant and food-service operators with fewer than 15 employees: Virginia has no statewide paid sick leave mandate. No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://www.doli.virginia.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Industry note: small restaurants (under 15 employees) follow voluntary or local rules only — there is no statewide mandate to trigger. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For restaurant groups and chains with 50 or more employees: Virginia has no statewide paid sick leave mandate. No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://www.doli.virginia.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Industry note: large restaurants & chains (50+ employees) follow voluntary or local rules only — there is no statewide mandate to trigger. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For retail stores and shops with fewer than 15 employees: Virginia has no statewide paid sick leave mandate. No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://www.doli.virginia.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Industry note: small retail (under 15 employees) follow voluntary or local rules only — there is no statewide mandate to trigger. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For retail chains with 50 or more employees: Virginia has no statewide paid sick leave mandate. No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://www.doli.virginia.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Industry note: large retail & chains (50+ employees) follow voluntary or local rules only — there is no statewide mandate to trigger. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For clinics and healthcare practices with fewer than 15 employees: Virginia has no statewide paid sick leave mandate. No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://www.doli.virginia.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Industry note: small healthcare (under 15 employees) follow voluntary or local rules only — there is no statewide mandate to trigger. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For hospitals and healthcare systems with 50 or more employees: Virginia has no statewide paid sick leave mandate. No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://www.doli.virginia.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Industry note: large healthcare systems (50+ employees) follow voluntary or local rules only — there is no statewide mandate to trigger. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Statewide mandate | No |
| Employer threshold | N/A |
| Accrual rate | N/A |
| Max accrual / year | N/A |
| Paid or unpaid | n/a |
| Carryover | N/A |
| Qualified reasons | Only home-health workers entitled to paid sick leave. |
| Effective date | N/A |
| Official source | https://www.doli.virginia.gov/ ↗ |
Virginia has no general statewide paid sick-leave mandate for private employers — the only federal floor is the unpaid FMLA (50+ employee employers). However, Virginia does require earned sick leave for home-health aides: VA Code § 40.1-28.7:1 (effective 2021) requires employers of home health aides to provide 1 hr/30 hrs up to 40 hrs/yr of paid sick leave. That is a narrow carve-out, not a broad mandate (confirm current scope with VA DOLI).
Virginia borders Maryland (a full mandate: 1 hr/30 hrs, 15+ employees, includes safe leave) and sits near DC (broad ASSLA) and Delaware (PFML insurance only). Among Southeast/Mid-Atlantic states, only Maryland and DC mandate general paid sick leave; Virginia's general private-employer rule is limited to home-health aides. North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, and West Virginia — Virginia's other neighbors — have no mandate.
| Year | Change |
|---|---|
| 2021 (eff. 2021) | VA Code § 40.1-28.7:1 enacted — earned sick leave for home-health aides (1 hr/30 hrs, up to 40 hrs/yr), a narrow carve-out. |
| 2024–2026 | No general private-employer paid sick-leave law enacted; the home-health-aide rule remains the only state mandate. Monitor the General Assembly for future proposals. |
Employers in Virginia most often trip on the items below. Amounts are typical statutory ranges — confirm the current figure with the state labor department before acting.
| Violation | Typical penalty / fine | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Home-health-aide earned sick leave (§ 40.1-28.7:1) | Employers of home health aides who fail to provide the required earned sick leave can be cited by VA DOLI; confirm current penalty figures with the agency. | This applies only to home-health aides, not general private employment. |
| General private employers | No state paid-sick-leave penalty; liable only under own policy and federal law (FMLA/ADA). | A written policy promise is enforceable as a term of employment. |
Use the button below to print or save a one-page compliance summary for Virginia. It includes the state law table and any local ordinances above.
No. Virginia has no statewide paid sick leave mandate. Employers may offer leave voluntarily. Some cities (see below) have their own ordinances.
Not applicable — no state law. Check local ordinances for city-level rules.
No local ordinances are tracked for Virginia beyond the state law.
A focused set of free calculators and guides across related topics — no account required.