North Carolina workers received a record $889,640 in compensation last year after reporting illegal workplace retaliation. Labor Commissioner Luke Farley said it was the highest annual recovery in the state bureau’s history.North Carolina law protects workers from retaliation for exercising certain workplace rights. Those include reporting safety concerns, filing workers’ compensation claims and making wage-and-hour complaints.
“This record recovery is about more than a dollar amount — it represents meaningful relief for North Carolinians who stood up for their workplace rights,” Farley said in a press release. “No worker should have to fear losing a job or paycheck for reporting an unsafe condition or exercising a right protected by law. We are proud of the work that resulted in a record nearly $900,000 being returned to North Carolina workers, and we will continue making it clear that workplace retaliation has no place in our state.”
The record total includes settlements and other monetary relief obtained through the bureau’s investigation, mediation, and conciliation efforts. Depending on the circumstances of a case, relief under REDA may include lost wages, lost benefits, and compensation for other economic losses.
Workers who believe they have experienced retaliation for engaging in an activity protected under REDA generally must file a written complaint with the Retaliatory Employment Discrimination Bureau within 180 days of the alleged retaliatory action.
For more information about REDA or how to file a complaint, visit www.labor.nc.gov or call 1-800-NC-LABOR (1-800-625-2267).
