The Virginia Department of Labor & Industry (DOLI)’s Safety and Health Codes Board adopted changes to the regulations related to employers and COVID-19. 

The new regulations went into effect on September 8 and apply to all places of employment in Virginia subject to the Virginia Occupational Safety and Health Program. This covers any real estate firms that have employees in Virginia. 

DOLI has published a summary of the changes, and the full regulations are available here.  

 Some of the key changes are: 

1. Employers must have a policy that ensures compliance with the regulations to protect employees from workplace exposure to COVID-19 and allows employees to make anonymous reports of violations. 

1. Employers must notify DOLI if 2 or more employees develop COVID-19 in a two week period. This is consistent with the requirement to report to the Department of Health. 

1. Changes to the language about employer’s policies for return to work. 

1. A requirement for employees who are not fully vaccinated, fully vaccinated employees in areas of substantial or high community transmission, and otherwise at-risk employees to wear masks while indoors. There are limited exceptions spelled out in the regulations. 

DOLI has a number of resources available on the website including FAQs; outreach, education and training; and other resources. 

Should you have any questions about these changes, please contact the Virginia REALTORS^® Legal Hotline.