Virginia Unemployment Insurance Poster Requirements

Virginia unemployment insurance poster requirements come down to two duties for every covered employer: display the Virginia Employment Commission’s “Notice to Workers” (Form VEC-B-29) where employees can see it, and hand a copy to each worker at the time of separation. The poster is free from the VEC, and both duties sit in Virginia Code § 60.2-106.¹

Which Employers Have to Post It

The posting rule applies to every employer covered by Virginia’s unemployment compensation system. Under Virginia Code § 60.2-210, you are a covered employer if either of the following is true:

You paid $1,500 or more in total wages during any calendar quarter in the current or preceding calendar year.
You had at least one person working for you during some part of a day in 20 different weeks (not necessarily consecutive) in the current or preceding calendar year.

Meeting either test pulls the business in.² Nonprofit organizations described under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code are also subject to Virginia’s unemployment compensation requirements.³

What the Poster Says

The VEC-B-29 tells workers how to file a claim after a job loss or a cut in hours. On the poster:

Who can apply: workers who are totally unemployed or working reduced wages or hours.
What to bring: full legal name, Social Security number, and work authorization documents for non-citizens.
How to file: online at vec.virginia.gov or by calling the Customer Contact Center at 1-866-832-2363.
Eligibility basics: filing a claim with the VEC, having earned enough wages from covered employers during the base period, being unemployed through no fault of your own, and being able, available, and actively searching for work.
Work registration: workers must also register at vawc.virginia.gov.

The poster also includes language-access contact information and the VEC Employer Accounts mailing address in Richmond.⁴

Where to Display It

The statute requires the poster to be in “places readily accessible to individuals in its services.”¹ The poster itself says it must be “in a place visible to all workers.”⁴ In practice that means break rooms, common areas near time clocks, or wherever your other employment notices already hang. Each work site needs its own posted copy. Print it clearly on standard letter-sized paper and place it at reading height, not buried behind other postings.

Remote and Hybrid Workforces

The U.S. Department of Labor has published guidance on electronic posting for federal workplace notices. Under DOL Field Assistance Bulletin 2020-7, electronic posting can substitute for a physical posting only when all employees work remotely, all customarily receive information electronically, and all have ready access to the posting without needing to request special permission.⁵ That guidance applies to federal posters directly, not the Virginia unemployment poster, but the same standard is a sensible approach for the VEC-B-29. If your workforce is mixed, the electronic version supplements the physical posting rather than replacing it.

The Separation Notice: The Part Most Employers Miss

Posting the notice on a wall is no longer enough by itself. Since March 14, 2024, the VEC-B-29 states that employers must provide a copy of the Notice to Workers to each employee at the time of separation from employment. The requirement traces to federal law at 42 U.S.C. § 1103(h)(2).⁴ Virginia Code § 60.2-106 reflects the same obligation, calling for both posting and written notice upon separation.¹

Every time a worker is laid off, terminated, or otherwise separated, they should leave with a physical or electronic copy of the VEC-B-29. Keeping printed copies in the HR office or saving the PDF in a shared drive makes this straightforward at offboarding.

How to Get the Poster

The Virginia Employment Commission provides the VEC-B-29 as a free downloadable PDF on its website. It is available in English, Spanish, Amharic, Korean, Vietnamese, Arabic, and simplified Chinese. You can also request a copy by mail from VEC Employer Accounts at P.O. Box 26441, Richmond, VA 23261-6441, or by phone at (804) 786-7159.⁶

If a substantial portion of your workforce reads a language other than English, downloading a translated version alongside the English copy is practical. The whole point of the requirement is that the worker actually reads and understands the notice.

Don’t Pay for This Poster

Companies routinely receive official-looking mailers demanding payment for “required” labor law poster updates. The Federal Trade Commission has pursued these operations and returned over $1 million to businesses that fell for one such scheme. Common red flags include mailers designed to look like government invoices, fake “Business ID” numbers, urgent response deadlines, and warnings about massive fines for noncompliance.⁷ The VEC-B-29 is free. Anyone charging for it is not the Virginia Employment Commission.

What Happens If You Skip It

Virginia’s unemployment statutes do not spell out a specific dollar fine for failing to post the VEC-B-29. The more realistic risk is practical. A separated employee who never learned they could file for benefits, because no notice was posted and none was handed over at separation, has grounds to complain to the VEC. The federal separation-notice requirement adds another layer of exposure. Posting the free one-page document and giving departing workers a copy is far simpler than defending the choice not to.

1
Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 60.2-106 – Employer to Post and Maintain Posters
2
Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 60.2-210 – Employer
3
Virginia Code Commission. Virginia Code 60.2-501 – Financing of Benefits to Employees of Nonprofit Organizations
4
Virginia Employment Commission. Notice to Workers
5
U.S. Department of Labor. Field Assistance Bulletin No. 2020-7 – Electronic Posting
6
Virginia Employment Commission. Required Posters for Virginia Employers
7
Federal Trade Commission. FTC Sends More Than $1 Million in Refunds to Victims of Labor Law Poster Scam