Virginia Becomes First State to Adopt Statewide Emergency Workplace Procedures Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
On July 15, 2020, Virginia adopted § 16 VAC 25-220, Emergency Temporary Standard, and Infectious Disease Prevention: SARS-CoV-2 Virus That Causes COVID-19. The Emergency Temporary Standard, which was drafted under the direction of Virginia Governor Ralph Northam and approved by the Virginia Safety and Health Codes Board, requires Virginia employers to: Mandate social distancing...
Read More“Ready State” Reimbursement Checklist for Government Contractors
On March 27, 2020, the Department of Defense (“DoD”) issued a class deviation in response to Section 3610 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”), which allows agencies to reimburse, at the minimum applicable contract billing rates for government contractors to be at a ‘ready state.’ Recently, DoD issued a...
Read MoreVirginia Joins Maryland and Prohibits Covenants Not to Compete for Low-Wage Employees Effective July 1, 2020
Less than a year after Maryland limited competitive restraints employers may place on low-wage employees, Virginia passed a law prohibiting non-compete clauses for low-wage employees. On April 9, 2020, Virginia Governor, Ralph Northam, signed SB 480 into law, which will go into effect on July 1, 2020. The new law states that on and...
Read MoreA Heads Up for Virginia Employers
Ward & Berry PLLC co-founder Daniel Ward discusses recent changes in Virginia prohibiting covenants not to compete with "low-wage employees," effective July 1, 2020. Virginia's definition of "low wage employee" may surprise you.
Read MoreDon’t Cut Compliance
"Cutting compliance will only make things much worse." Ward & Berry PLLC co-founder Ryan Berry with an important compliance PSA for federal contractors. [video width="1280" height="720" mp4="/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Dont-Cut-Compliance.mp4"][/video]
Read MoreGOVERNMENT CONTRACTOR ALERT: NEW VIRGINIA EMPLOYMENT LAW
Attention federal contractors with operations in Virginia! There has been a sea change in Virginia employment law that greatly increases your exposure to lawsuits in Virginia state courts. Read on… Virginia has long been extremely protective of the at-will employment doctrine and (apart from narrow public policy exceptions) barred direct lawsuits by employees alleging...
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