Virginia Employment Attorneys

At DearLegal, we connect you with experienced Virginia employment attorneys who handle VHRA discrimination, wage, retaliation, and wrongful-termination claims for workers across Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Richmond, Newport News, and Arlington. Whether you're facing a federal-contractor termination, a healthcare retaliation, or a non-compete dispute, we'll match you with the right attorney — at no cost.

File with the Virginia Office of Civil Rights (OCR) within 300 days under Va. Code § 2.2-3907. OCR has a work-share with the EEOC. After right-to-sue, you can file in circuit court.
Post-Virginia Values Act (2020), VHRA covers race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, related medical conditions, and lactation), sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, age (no minimum), national origin, status as a veteran, disability, and military status.
Restricted. Va. Code § 40.1-28.7:8 (2020) prohibits non-competes for "low-wage employees" earning less than the state average weekly wage (~$76,000 annually in 2024). Above the threshold, common-law reasonableness test applies. Healthcare and tech-industry non-competes especially scrutinized.
VA minimum wage is $12.00/hour as of January 2023, rising to $15.00 in 2026 under SB 7.
No. Va. Code § 65.2-308 prohibits retaliation for workers' comp claims.
Limited. Va. Code § 40.1-33.6 requires paid sick leave for home healthcare workers. No general state paid sick leave statute.
Not without legal review. The Virginia Values Act of 2020 greatly expanded VHRA, making claims more valuable.

Why Do You Need a Employment Attorney in Virginia?

The Virginia Human Rights Act (VHRA, Va. Code § 2.2-3900 et seq.), substantially expanded by the Virginia Values Act of 2020, prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, lactation), sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, age (no minimum threshold), national origin, status as a veteran, disability, and military status at employers with 5+ employees (15+ for some). Charges are filed with the Virginia Office of Civil Rights (OCR) within 300 days. Virginia is at-will with a public-policy exception (Bowman v. State Bank of Keysville). Non-competes restricted under Va. Code § 40.1-28.7:8 (2020) — banned for 'low-wage employees' earning less than the state average weekly wage threshold. Virginia minimum wage is $12.00/hour (2024), rising to $15.00 in 2026. Virginia Paid Sick Leave (Va. Code § 40.1-33.6) requires paid sick leave for home healthcare workers. No state PFML.

When Do You Need a Employment Attorney in Virginia?

Our network includes Virginia employment attorneys who handle every kind of case, including:

Types of Employment Cases in Virginia

From the moment you connect with a Virginia employment attorney, they go to work protecting your claim. The most common case types we handle:

Missing the 300-day OCR filing deadline
Signing a severance release without consulting an attorney
Talking to HR without documenting in writing afterward
Not preserving emails, Slack, and texts before being locked out
Posting about the dispute on social media
Accepting a final paycheck waiver without legal review

Common Virginia Employment Mistakes

Even a small misstep can hurt your case. Here’s what to avoid:

How Much Do Virginia Employment Attorneys Cost?

33%

Typical starting contingency fee — you pay nothing unless your attorney recovers compensation for you.

Virginia employment attorneys work on contingency or hybrid arrangements — typically 33%–40% of recovery. VHRA (post-2020 expansion), VA Wage Payment and Collection Act (treble damages), Virginia Whistleblower Protection Law, and federal employment statutes shift attorney fees to the employer when the worker prevails.

What Can Your Virginia Employment Compensation Include?

Back Pay
Lost wages and benefits from termination to judgment under VHRA and federal law. Uncapped.
Front Pay
Future lost earnings when reinstatement isn't feasible.
Compensatory Damages
Emotional distress and out-of-pocket losses. Federal Title VII / ADA cap $50K–$300K. VHRA (post-2020) allows compensatory damages without the federal cap structure in court actions.
Punitive Damages
Available under VHRA and federal Title VII / ADA. Virginia punitives capped at $350,000 (Va. Code § 8.01-38.1).
Liquidated Damages
VA Wage Payment and Collection Act: treble damages. Virginia Overtime Wage Act provides additional damages. FLSA: doubles unpaid wages. ADEA: doubles back pay for willful violations.
Attorney Fees and Costs
Prevailing employees recover reasonable attorney fees under VHRA, VA WPCA, VA Whistleblower Protection Law, Title VII, ADA, ADEA, FLSA, and FMLA.
!!!

DearLegal is a legal referral service, not a law firm. We connect individuals with licensed attorneys who can evaluate their case. Nothing on this page constitutes legal advice. Results vary based on individual circumstances.