Virginia is an at-will state, so it can feel like your employer holds every card. It doesn't have to be that way. Since the 2020 Virginia Values Act, workers here have real teeth: uncapped compensatory damages for discrimination, triple damages for wage theft, and one-year whistleblower protection. But the clocks are unforgiving, and the deadline that quietly ends the most cases is the 90-day window to sue after your Notice of Right to File. Before you sign a severance, give a recorded statement, or assume nothing can be done, call 1-844-690-0555 free, 24/7, for plain-English legal information about your Virginia situation.
Free legal information. Not legal advice. Available 24/7 across Virginia.
Right now, do three things. First, write down a timeline while it's fresh: dates, who said what, who was present, and your last day worked. Second, save everything in a personal account, not your work email: your offer letter, pay stubs, schedules, texts, emails, and any write-ups, because access can vanish the moment you're terminated. Third, do not sign a severance or release until you understand what you're giving up, and do not give HR a recorded statement before you know your rights. Then call 1-844-690-0555. The free AI assistant, trained on Virginia and federal employment law, will tell you which deadline is closest, including the discrimination-charge window and the 90-day suit window that opens once your Notice of Right to File arrives, so you don't lose your claim by waiting.
Most Virginia workers fixate on the deadline to file a discrimination charge, and it matters. But the deadline that quietly kills more strong cases is the one that comes after. Once the Virginia Office of Civil Rights or the EEOC issues your Notice of Right to File, Va. Code § 2.2-3908 gives you just 90 days to get a VHRA lawsuit on file. Not 90 business days. Ninety calendar days, holidays included. People assume the agency is 'still handling it,' set the letter aside, and wake up barred forever, no matter how blatant the harassment or firing was. The letter is a starting gun, not a pause. The moment that envelope arrives, the clock is already running. Call 1-844-690-0555 free, 24/7, and find out exactly how many days you have left before you lose the right to sue.
Legal Hotline is not a law firm and gives legal information, not legal advice. If you need free or low-cost help filing a charge or claim, these verified Virginia resources handle employment matters directly:
I was fired in Virginia for no reason. Can they do that?
Usually yes, because Virginia is an at-will state, so an employer can fire you for almost any reason or none at all. But there are real exceptions: firing you because of a protected trait, in retaliation for whistleblowing or a wage complaint, or in violation of the narrow Bowman public-policy rule can all be illegal. The line is fact-specific. Call 1-844-690-0555 free, 24/7, and the AI assistant will tell you whether your firing fits an exception, as legal information, not legal advice.
My employer in Virginia won't pay me. What can I do?
You have two paths under Va. Code § 40.1-29: file a free unpaid-wage claim with the Department of Labor and Industry, or sue in General District Court (claims up to $50,000) or Circuit Court. Virginia's wage law is unusually strong, you can recover the wages PLUS equal liquidated damages, or triple the wages for a knowing violation, plus mandatory attorney fees. You generally have three years for wages earned on or after July 1, 2020. Call 1-844-690-0555 to find out which path fits your case.
How long do I have to file a discrimination complaint in Virginia?
For discriminatory acts before July 1, 2026, you have 300 days to file a charge with the Virginia Office of Civil Rights or the EEOC. Under Senate Bill 637, that window expands to two years for acts on or after July 1, 2026. Either way, the deadline that catches more people comes next: under § 2.2-3908, once you get your Notice of Right to File, you have only 90 calendar days to file the lawsuit itself. Call 1-844-690-0555 free, any hour, and the assistant will work out which deadline is closest for you.
I was fired right after reporting my boss in Virginia. Is that retaliation?
It may be. Va. Code § 40.1-27.3 protects private-sector employees who report a suspected violation of law, refuse to take an unlawful action, or testify in an investigation. Remedies include reinstatement, back pay, restored benefits, and attorney fees, but the private-sector whistleblower suit has a tight one-year deadline. State and local government whistleblowers have separate protection under § 2.2-3011. Call 1-844-690-0555 to learn which protection applies and how long you have.
I'm pregnant and was just let go in Virginia. Do I have a claim?
Possibly a strong one. The Virginia Human Rights Act, as amended by the Virginia Values Act, expressly protects pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions, and requires reasonable accommodation. Under SB 637, from July 1, 2026 these discrimination protections reach employers with as few as five employees. The discrimination charge clock applies (300 days, or two years for acts on or after July 1, 2026). Call 1-844-690-0555 free, 24/7, for plain-English information about your options before that window closes.
Is my non-compete enforceable in Virginia?
It depends, and the rules are tightening. Virginia already voids noncompetes for lower-wage workers. Effective July 1, 2026, a new law (HB 627) imposes a flat ban on noncompetes with licensed health-care professionals, and another (SB 170) bars enforcing a newer noncompete if your employer fires you without cause and pays no severance. Whether yours holds up turns on your role, pay, when it was signed, and its terms. Call 1-844-690-0555 and the assistant will walk you through how the new Virginia law affects you.
I'm owed overtime in Virginia. Who do I call?
Since the 2022 amendment, Virginia's Overtime Wage Act tracks the federal FLSA, so most overtime disputes (time-and-a-half over 40 hours a week) run through the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division or federal court, on a 2-year clock, or 3 years if the violation was willful. You can recover unpaid overtime plus liquidated damages that typically double it, plus attorney fees. Call 1-844-690-0555 free to confirm whether you're owed overtime and which route fits.
My employer made me sign a severance with a release. Can I still sue in Virginia?
It depends on what the release says and how it was signed. A valid release can waive your wage, discrimination, or whistleblower claims, sometimes for far less than they're worth, but releases can be challenged on grounds like timing, coercion, or scope. Never assume it's airtight, and never assume it's worthless. Call 1-844-690-0555 free, 24/7, for legal information about what you may have given up. This is information, not advice, and the call creates no attorney-client relationship.
Are my unpaid sales commissions covered by Virginia's wage law?
This recently changed. In Groundworks Operations, LLC v. Campbell, decided December 30, 2025, the Supreme Court of Virginia held that sales commissions are not 'wages' under Va. Code § 40.1-29, which means the powerful liquidated- and treble-damages remedies do not apply to a commissions-only claim. You may still have other avenues, such as a breach-of-contract claim. Call 1-844-690-0555 before you assume you're stuck, so you understand your real options.
What does the new July 1, 2026 Virginia pay transparency law require?
Starting July 1, 2026, a new Virginia law (SB 215 / HB 636) requires covered employers to disclose the wage or salary range in job, promotion, and transfer postings, and bars them from asking about or relying on your past salary history when setting your pay. The Attorney General can enforce it with civil penalties. If you think an employer ignored these rules, call 1-844-690-0555 for plain-English information about what the law covers.
Does calling Legal Hotline mean I've hired a lawyer?
No. Legal Hotline is not a law firm and is not a public defender. The free call gives you legal information about Virginia and federal employment law, not legal advice, and it creates no attorney-client relationship. If you decide you want an attorney, we can help you arrange a paid consultation with a Virginia-licensed employment lawyer, a separate, optional, paid step. Start with the free call at 1-844-690-0555, 24/7.
Are you a Virginia-licensed employment attorney handling wrongful termination, VHRA discrimination, wage-and-hour, whistleblower, or 2026 noncompete and pay-transparency matters? We connect workers across Northern Virginia, Richmond, Hampton Roads, Roanoke, and the Shenandoah Valley with vetted local counsel for paid consultations. To be considered for our referral network, get in touch. This is for attorneys only; if you're a worker who needs help, please call 1-844-690-0555.
General legal information, not legal advice. We research every page from primary sources — legislation, the courts, and government legal-aid bodies — and check it for accuracy. Spotted something out of date? Tell us at admin@platfirm.ai.
Every day you wait, a clock runs: the discrimination charge window, just 90 days to sue after your Notice of Right to File, one year for whistleblower retaliation, three years for unpaid wages. The call is free, available 24/7, with no income test and no web form. You'll get clear information about your Virginia rights and your nearest deadline, in plain English. It's legal information, not legal advice, and it creates no attorney-client relationship, just a fast, honest first step. Call 1-844-690-0555 now.
Free legal information. Not legal advice.