The Virginia Department of Labor and Industry has proposed Emergency Temporary Regulations that are still in the process of being finalized, which will be required in the upcoming weeks for the protection of workers employed by Virginia businesses. On June 24, 2020, the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry presented the proposed regulations to the state’s Safety and Health Code’s Board which voted 9-3 to create workplace safety rules that they will continue to work on and be finalizing in the coming days. The Temporary standards can be found here with changes updated through June 23, 2020.

The rules will be requiring all employers to develop policies for social distancing, disinfection, sanitation, and will require that employees be given notice of positive cases in the workplace. Any employer who has already developed a policy for reopening their business should revisit their policies once the rules are finalized or risk fines or closure in the case of severe noncompliance.

Any employer wanting assistance with reviewing and/or drafting their policies once the specific standards are implemented should contact Wendy Alexander at 703-680-4664 for assistance.