McGuireWoods partner Courtney Malveaux provided insight for an April 14, 2025, Bloomberg Law article examining the varied approaches states take to regulate workplace safety.
As more states take the lead on regulating heat and violence hazards in the workplace, employers operating across jurisdictions face increasingly complicated compliance burdens, Bloomberg Law reported. With federal rulemaking in these areas moving slowly, the story noted, a number of states are stepping in to fill the void, creating a patchwork of standards that legal experts say is challenging for businesses to navigate.
Malveaux, a former Virginia labor commissioner, commented on the commonwealth’s recently vetoed bill that would have required large employers to implement workplace violence prevention policies.
“The purpose of the bill was to send a signal to the Virginia Safety and Health Codes Board to consider a state-specific standard on this,” Malveaux said. Gov. Glenn Youngkin vetoed the bill, but the legislation could resurface if political leadership shifts in Virginia’s 2025 elections.
Malveaux also pointed to the authority of the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration to revoke a state workplace safety program if it falls below federal standards.