Annual Survey of Virginia Law: Labor and Employment Law

This article discusses four principal areas of employment and labor law in which there was significant activity in Virginia's courts and/or the legislature over the past year: (1) public policy wrongful discharge; (2) negligent hiring, retention, and supervision; (3) employment references; and (4) covenants not to compete and the employee's fiduciary duties owed to the employer. Beyond the scope of this article are decisions rendered in other areas of law affecting the employment relationship, including workers' compensation, unemployment, wage payment, and public sector employment.