Are You Prepared for What’s Coming?

If you’re an HR manager, executive director, or people manager at a Virginia nonprofit or privately held organization, you’re in the right place. This post covers two of the most pressing topics for Virginia employers right now: the wave of employment law changes taking effect in 2026, and what the Moving Toward Equity 2026 Compensation, Benefits & Work Culture Report tells us about how RVA nonprofits can stay competitive in a constrained market.

The short answer is that Virginia employers must post salary ranges in all job listings, stop asking candidates about pay history, and begin planning for mandatory paid sick leave and paid family and medical leave programs, all taking effect in 2026.

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Your Employees Aren’t Using Their Mental Health Benefits. Here’s Why

If you’re an employer wondering why your team isn’t taking advantage of the mental health benefits you offer, you’re not alone, and you’re in the right place.

You invested in an EAP (Employee Assistance Program) or health plan that covers counseling but utilization is low. Employees are burning out, disengaging, or quietly struggling, and the benefits you’re paying for are going unused.

The gap usually isn’t awareness. It’s fear. Employees worry their boss will find out, or that therapy isn’t covered, or that using benefits will flag them somehow. Those concerns are largely myths, but if no one addresses them, the benefits don’t get used.

That’s where experienced HR leadership makes a difference. Cheron Smalls is a Fractional HR Director with Warren Whitney who works directly with organizations to bridge that gap, translating complex benefits into language employees actually trust. Her recent work with Fig Tree Therapy, a multi-location counseling practice in Virginia, is a clear example: she authored a plain-language guide helping individuals understand what HIPAA actually protects, how FSA and HSA funds apply to mental health care, and what their real options are.

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