Bill > HB675

This bill prohibits employers, including government entities, from using coercion or threats against employees based on their immigration status to violate wage and hour laws, specifically the Virginia Minimum Wage Act and provisions related to payment of wages. "Coercion" is defined as a threat to force someone to do something they have a legal right to avoid or to stop doing something they have a legal right to do. A "threat" is any communication, direct or indirect, about an employee's or their family's immigration status used to prevent them from engaging in protected activities or exercising their rights under labor laws. Employees who believe they have been subjected to such coercion or threats can file a complaint with the Commissioner of Labor and Industry within 180 days. The Commissioner will investigate these complaints and, if substantiated, can impose civil penalties ranging from up to $5,000 for a first offense, up to $9,000 for a second offense, and up to $12,000 for subsequent offenses, with each instance of coercion or threat against an employee counting as a separate violation. The Commissioner can also seek court orders to enforce these provisions.

Budget and Finance, Business and Industry, Justice

https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB675