RALEIGH, N.C. – Today, Labor Commissioner Luke Farley announced that the Retaliatory Employment Discrimination Bureau of the North Carolina Department of Labor secured a record $889,640 in monetary relief for North Carolina workers during state fiscal year 2026 — the highest annual total in the bureau’s history.
The bureau investigates complaints alleging violations of the Retaliatory Employment Discrimination Act, or REDA. The law protects employees from retaliation for engaging in certain legally protected activities, including raising workplace safety concerns, filing workers’ compensation claims, initiating wage-and-hour complaints, and exercising other rights protected under state law.
“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. “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.
“These results reflect the dedication of our REDB investigators and staff, who work every day to ensure that North Carolinians can exercise their workplace rights without fear of retaliation,” Farley added. “Protecting those rights is an essential part of our mission to make North Carolina the safest place to work and the best place to do business.”
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).