As we’ve advised in past issues, the turn of the calendar often ushers in new changes in state and local laws that we all must be aware of, but that is especially true when we flip from June to July. Last week we advised of a number of changes coming July 1 in state and local minimum wages, but change doesn’t stop there. In Virginia, there are a number of significant changes afoot with regard to employment law in Old Dominion. Specifically, the “Virginia Values Act” makes a number of changes in the Virginia Human Rights Act, where it now covers more employers (threshold is down to only 15 employees) and establishes more classes of protected employees while also expanding the remedies available to workers who bring a lawsuit. Additionally, it adds more protections to the Whistleblower protection statute and mandates reasonable accommodation for pregnant workers for all employers with a minimum of 5 employees. And finally, Virginia’s amended wage payment law provides for triple damages and other penalties for wage payment violations while creating more rights for employees with statutory private right of action along with anti-retaliation protections and further pay transparency requirements among others!