Commissioner Luke Farley applauds the N.C. General Assembly on working with NCDOL to pass The Worker Safety Act of 2026 (H.B. 258).

North Carolina Labor Commissioner Luke Farley praised the General Assembly for passing The Worker Safety Act of 2026 (H.B. 258), legislation that modernizes the Retaliatory Employment Discrimination Act (REDA) complaint process and provides greater clarity, transparency, and efficiency for workers. The bill received bipartisan support, passing the House 108-5 and the Senate unanimously, 46-0.

The legislation establishes clear requirements for filing REDA complaints, allows employers to submit position statements early in the process, clarifies the treatment of materials unrelated to an investigation, and standardizes how filing deadlines are calculated.

"I applaud the North Carolina General Assembly on working with us to pass House Bill 258: The Worker Safety Act of 2026. This legislation will bring common-sense reform to ensure retaliatory employment discrimination claims are handled fairly, consistently, and efficiently," said Commissioner Farley. "North Carolina workers deserve a process that is transparent, quick and responsive - and job-creators deserve a process that allows all relevant facts to be heard. This legislation strengthens the process for both. I appreciate the leadership of both the Senate and the House in passing this important legislation."

The bill requires complainants to provide basic information necessary for the N.C. Department of Labor to conduct a timely investigation, while also allowing individuals who submit incomplete complaints an opportunity to correct deficiencies. It further authorizes respondents to submit position statements outlining potential defenses, helping investigators obtain a more complete understanding of the facts at the outset of a case.

The legislation also clarifies that materials unrelated to a REDA complaint investigation will not be considered and establishes a uniform method for calculating deadlines under the statute.

"The Worker Safety Act of 2026 will improve our agency's ability to investigate complaints and help ensure that North Carolinians receive timely and fair consideration of their allegations," Farley said. "I respectfully urge Governor Stein to sign this bill into law without delay."

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