Virginia’s economic success has always come from two core priorities: supporting working families and making sure businesses can thrive in our commonwealth. This week, we are proving it once again.
On Monday, Virginia will become the first state in the South to establish a paid family and medical leave program. Under legislation championed by state Sen. Jennifer Boysko and Del. Briana Sewell that I was proud to sign into law, Virginians will be able to take up to 12 weeks of paid leave to care for a new child, recover from a serious illness or tend to a family member in need. Virginians can lean on this portable program, modeled on the same proven system as unemployment insurance, during major life changes or moments of hardship throughout their careers.
Women in Virginia are losing out on an estimated $2.2 billion in wages compared with women who live in countries with paid leave.
As this landmark policy becomes law on the heels of Mother’s Day weekend, I’m thinking about those of our neighbors this change will affect most. We know that the absence of paid leave across industries and employers of all sizes has disproportionately pushed working moms out of the workforce — or kept them from moving up in their careers. Women in Virginia are losing out on an estimated $2.2 billion in wages compared with women who live in countries with paid leave.
After nearly a decade of work in our legislature, getting this achievement across the finish line is a big deal for the people who power Virginia’s economy — whether they punch a timecard, swipe a badge or work primarily for tips. But I want everyone to understand that it is just as good of a deal for Virginia businesses.
Consider what this law does to level the playing field for the small and midsize employers that make up 99% of the businesses in our commonwealth. Right now, large corporations are able to use generous leave packages as a recruiting tool — often offering benefits that, say, a family-owned trucking company in Prince William County or a 12-person manufacturing company in the Shenandoah Valley could struggle to match. That gap costs smaller employers talented workers every day.
This law helps balance the equation. By creating this program, Virginia allows small businesses to offer the same foundational benefit that Fortune 500 companies have been advertising for years. That is a lifeline for local businesses — and a way to help all our companies win the competition for Virginia talent.
Paid family and medical leave is not a new idea, nor is it a partisan one. In 2019, President Donald Trump signed into law a 12-week paid parental leave program for federal workers. This was a recognition, from a Republican president, that supporting families when they welcome a child is not merely the right thing to do — it is also common-sense public policy.
Paid family and medical leave is not a new idea, nor is it a partisan one. In 2019, President Donald Trump signed into law a 12-week paid parental leave program for federal workers.
Polling this year has found that more than 80% of Virginians support establishing a paid family and medical leave program. That kind of consensus does not happen by accident — it reflects a shared intuition that the economy works better when workers are not forced to choose between their paycheck and their family.
Amid record gas prices and high inflation, too many families across Virginia cannot afford to miss paychecks. The average worker who takes four weeks of unpaid leave in Virginia loses more than $3,600 in income. That money can be the difference between falling behind on rent, missing utility payments or being forced to skip doctor’s visits.
At the end of the day, Virginia’s greatest economic asset — and we have many — is our people: the workforce that powers growth across our commonwealth. The businesses that thrive here have always known that. What they needed were willing partners in state government who knew it, too.
This law is that partnership in action. It will make Virginia a stronger place to build a career, grow a family and start a business. For those who believe that policies supporting working families cannot coexist with policies that support business investment and economic growth, Virginia is telling a different story.
Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat, is governor of Virginia. From 2019 to 2025, she represented Virginia's 7th Congressional District in the U.S. House.