Intro to North Carolina Labor Laws

Since a state law preempting municipal anti-discrimination laws lapsed late last year, a growing number of North Carolina localities have enacted anti-discrimination ordinances. While many of these are already in effect, those for Charlotte (and the surrounding county) and Winston-Salem will go into effect January and February of 2022, respectively.

Back in 2017, a state house bill prohibited local governments in North Carolina from enacting or amending any ordinances regarding private employment or public accommodation. Following the expiration of this prohibition in December 2020, several localities have adopted anti-discrimination ordinances to protect individuals from employment discrimination on the basis of a protected class. Among these localities, many have included an expanded definition of protected classes to include gender identity and protected hairstyles.

Governor Cooper recently signed a law that creates new notice requirements for North Carolina employers regarding pay details. Employers must provide a written notice of payment information to individuals upon hire, including wage details and method of payment. Employers must also provide an advanced notice period of at least one pay period for certain changes in promised wages.