Beginning next week, on July 1, 2019, employers in Virginia must provide a copy of their employment documents upon written request from an employee. The new requirement, signed into law back in March by Governor Ralph Northam, mandates that an employer provide “all records or papers retained by the employer in any format,” detailing: (i) employee dates of employment; (ii) the employee’s wages or salary during their employment; (iii) their job description or title during employment; and (iv) any injuries sustained during the course of employment with the employer. It also applies to current and former employees and provides a maximum of 30 days for the employer to produce the documents after receipt of the request. Failure to comply could result in award damages for all expenses incurred by an employee as well as court costs and reasonable attorney’s fees, so we advise that you update your employee handbook relative to employee records access and keep it current.