North Carolina Lawmakers Pass Worker Safety Act
Legislation modernizes the retaliatory employment discrimination complaint process to improve transparency and efficiency.
- By Jesse Jacobs
- Jun 17, 2026
The North Carolina General Assembly has passed legislation aimed at modernizing the state’s process for handling retaliatory employment discrimination complaints.
House Bill 258, also known as The Worker Safety Act of 2026, received strong bipartisan backing, clearing the House in a 108–5 vote and passing the Senate unanimously. The bill updates the Retaliatory Employment Discrimination Act (REDA) to establish specific requirements for filing complaints and introduces standardized methods for calculating statutory deadlines.
Under the new framework, individuals filing a complaint must provide the essential information required for the North Carolina Department of Labor to conduct an investigation. Those who submit incomplete forms will be given an opportunity to correct any deficiencies.
The measure also alters the procedure for employers facing allegations. Respondents are now authorized to submit position statements outlining potential defenses early in the process, which is intended to give investigators a clearer understanding of the facts at the outset of a case. Additionally, the legislation specifies that any materials unrelated to the specific REDA investigation will be excluded from consideration.
The bill now moves to the governor's desk to be signed into law.
About the Author
Jesse Jacobs is assistant editor of OHSOnline.com.