A Note From the Director
Greetings! We hope that you are doing well and enjoying the warmer weather that the Spring season has to offer! The DHRM office has relocated to Main Street Centre located at 600 East Main Street, 14th & 17th floors.
We are excited to announce the 2026 DHRM HR Leadership Conference, Control + Alt + Delete: HR: Reboot and Reimagine. The Conference will be held in person September 28-30, 2026, at the Greater Richmond Convention Center. The conference will focus on foundational systems and compliance, innovative and flexible workforce strategies, and transformative processes. We will be seeking dynamic speakers for both general and concurrent sessions. Additional details will be forthcoming for you to share with those interested in submitting a speaker proposal.
Virginia Public Service Week is May 4-8. Agencies are encouraged to plan fun and engaging activities for their employees throughout this week.
As a reminder, Employment Opportunities Plans are due by June 30th and Workforce Plans are due by September 30th each year. The information from these plans is an important asset that will help us evaluate the effectiveness of our employee engagement efforts.
Thank you!
Janet L. Lawson, DHRM Director
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This is a reminder that DHRM’s updated Overtime Policy 3.20 became effective December 1, 2025. One key requirement in the policy is that employees are limited to carrying forward no more than 80 hours of overtime leave each fiscal year. Click on the link above to learn more.
The Office of Workforce Engagement (OWE) has received numerous inquiries regarding the upcoming required DEI report submissions. At this time, DHRM has not received updated guidance from the Administration. Click on the link above to learn more.
COV Learning Center Update
Meridian will be updating the COV Learning Center to version 26.1 this Spring. This release brings meaningful upgrades across instructor-led training (ILT), learner experience pages, and training assignment workflows—built to help your team move faster and give learners a smoother experience. For more information about this release, you can watch archived webinar.
The release for the Go Live Production update is scheduled for Friday, May 8. It is scheduled to begin at 10:00 PM EDT and last 4 hours. You may not have access to the system during this time. Please send any questions to the General COV Learning Center.
The Agency Recruiter Central (ARC) Teams channel continues to grow as a collaborative hub for recruiters, HR professionals and agency partners across the Commonwealth. While HR Directors remain key partners in sharing updates, the channel is open to anyone involved in recruitment or talent-related
work. Click on the link above to learn more.
We would like to highlight a recent Lexology article that transcribes an episode of the Mintz On Air: Practical Policies podcast, produced by the law firm Mintz. The piece offers thoughtful insight into the transition of special operations forces veterans into the private-sector workforce and explores the unique skills and perspectives they bring to employers.
The episode is part of an ongoing series aimed at helping employers navigate evolving workplace dynamics and understand key legal considerations. The agency's motto is “The Only Easy Workday Was Yesterday” meaning be prepared for new and greater challenges today and in the future. To read the full article, click the link above.
Engagement
Open Enrollment for health benefits and flexible spending accounts (FSAs) will be held from May 15 - May 29, 2026. Please ensure that your agency and employees are prepared for Open Enrollment, by having the agency benefits contact, and employee contact information in Cardinal up to date to avoid missing critical Open Enrollment information. Click on the link above for more information.
This summer, CommonHealth is kicking off a statewide wellness adventure—the CommonHealth 250, a 10-week challenge inviting employees to move more, feel better, and celebrate America’s 250th anniversary together. Click on the link above to learn more.
We encourage each agency to visit our webpage to register your interns, as space is limited. Attendees can also register to showcase their summer accomplishments at the COVA Internship Connection Impact Expo. Registration Closes: 7/15/2026. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Program Manager, Jasmine Walker. See the list of special events by clicking on the link above.
In Case You Missed...
Please be advised of the following information concerning a one-time bonus for June 2026. The following one-time bonus is included in the directives found in Chapter 7 of the 2026 Amendments to the 2025 Virginia Acts of Assembly. Please take some time to review the Memo and FAQs which are also accessible on the DHRM Compensation website. Click on the link above for more information.
The Department of Human Resource Management (DHRM) is pleased to announce that NASCAR and Richmond Raceway has partnered with the Commonwealth to offer state employees a discount to the 2026 Cook Out 400 NASCAR Cup Series Race at Richmond Raceway on Saturday, August 15, 2026. Click the link above to purchase tickets and for more information.
We are proud to announce our recent collaboration with Opportunity at Work’s Transformers in the Public Sector to advance skills-based hiring throughout the Commonwealth. Our focus is on identifying the skills essential for each role and creating practical ways to assess those skills, regardless of how candidates acquired them. This work is related to an Executive directive several years ago and the General Assembly’s legislative action last year. Click on the link above for more information.
The 2025–2026 Commonwealth Mentorship Program cohort transitioned to a reduced engagement level of 1–2 hours on March 3, marking the mentors and mentees six-month milestone with an impressive 92% retention rate. The CMP Class of 2026 is scheduled to graduate on August 26, 2026.
Registration for the 2026–2027 Cohort & Leadership Track will open May 1 and remain available through June 30. New this year, we are pleased to introduce the CMP Leadership Track for employee leaders! Please visit the CMP webpage for further updates.
Comings...& Goings ....
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We are excited to welcome JoBeth Coble, as the new Executive Assistant for the Office of Workers Compensation. JoBeth comes to DHRM with 18+ years of administrative experience and a strong background in healthcare operations. Previously, she served as a Practice Manager for two clinics, where she helped streamline workflows, support growth, and improve patient and staff experience.
She is passionate about helping others, both professionally and personally, and enjoys spending time with her husband of nearly 15 years, and their two daughters, and being outdoors.
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Published by the Virginia Department of Human Resource Management
www.dhrm.virginia.gov
600 East Main Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219
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