by Morgan Sweeney
Calling her state and America behind “the entire industrialized world,” a Virginia senator is one of two lawmakers pushing legislation to implement an employer-provided benefit to workers.
“Virginia and our entire nation are woefully behind the entire industrialized world when it comes to helping workers when their families need them,” Sen. Jennifer Boysko, D-Fairfax, said Monday explaining a paid famil and medical leave program.
Her Senate Bill 373 has been sent from the chamber’s Labor and Commerce Committee to finance and appropriations. Del. Brianna Sewell, D-Prince William, has the companion legislation – House Bill 737 – in the House of Delegates, which has exited a subcommittee to appropriations.
“What’s worse,” Boysko continued, “is that women are often disproportionately impacted by this lack of support. We are often forced to leave the labor force in order to care for our families.”
Paid family and medical leave would be an employer-provided benefit for which employers would have to pay at least 50% of their employees’ premiums. The program would guarantee that employees taking time off for the birth of a child or “an illness, injury, impairment … or physical or mental condition that involves inpatient care in a hospital, hospice, or residential medical care facility or continuing treatment by a health care provider” would continue to receive 80% of their paycheck for up to 12 weeks of leave.
Federal law requires employers with 50 or more employees to provide up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to employees to care for a newborn, adopted or foster child, or a serious health condition. Twelve states and the District of Columbia have enacted legislation providing richer benefits to their residents and Boysko and Sewell want to add Virginia to that list.
Employers would start paying premiums on Jan. 1, 2026, and benefits would start a year later in 2027.
– – –
Morgan Sweeney is a staff writer covering Virginia and Maryland for The Center Square. Morgan was an active member of the journalism program as an undergraduate at Hillsdale College and previously freelanced for The Center Square.
