Richmond--Today the Virginia Employment Commission (VEC) announced final resolution regarding litigation that occurred during the previous Administration with Legal Aid Justice Center, Virginia Poverty Law Center, and Legal Aid Works over issues related to the unprecedented impact from the pandemic on the processing of unemployment claims. The agency had previously settled the lawsuit after resolving a number of issues related to processing unemployment insurance claims.

After the May 25, 2021, settlement, Legal Aid subsequently sought an award of attorneys’ fees on February 1, 2022, for its work in connection with the case. After a mediation on April 20, 2022, regarding the issue of attorneys’ fees, the parties have agreed to resolve the matter for $200,000. This amount is less than the total amount of attorneys’ fees sought by Legal Aid in this case.

The VEC is satisfied to have this matter resolved, and continues with the significant efforts required to address any remaining issues and transform the agency to be better positioned for any future events.

About the Virginia Employment Commission:  The Virginia Employment Commission, a state agency under the Secretary of Labor, is dedicated to promoting economic growth and stability by delivering and coordinating workforce services to include: policy development; job placement services; temporary income support; workforce information; and transition and training services. To accomplish this mission, the agency partners with stakeholders; develops and empowers staff; improves its processes; embraces innovative solutions and technologies; and continually renews the organization. Additional information can be found on VEC’s webpage at: https://www.vec.virginia.gov/unemployed

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