Governor Roy Cooper’s recent signing of Executive Order No. 82 supports recommendations outlined in the 2018 Status of Women in NC: Employment and Earnings Report released by the Department of Administration’s Council for Women and Youth Involvement this past spring. One of the recommendations mentioned in the report, compiled by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, is to create policies to support work-life balance, an element Department of Administration’s Secretary Machelle Sanders deems crucial for building a better and stronger North Carolina.
“While the report is called ‘The Status of Women,’ this is not a women’s issue. This is a family issue, an economic issue – it is everyone’s issue,” Secretary Sanders said. “According to the report, women make up more than half of North Carolina’s workforce. Improving the status of women in the state would not only allow more families to achieve economic security but would help reduce the number of people in poverty and grow the state economy.”
Executive Order No. 82 mandates that state agencies provide requested workplace adjustments to pregnant state employees. It also requires the North Carolina Office of State Human Resources to educate agency management and other staff about pregnancy protection obligations and employee rights and to take steps to prevent discrimination, harassment or retaliation against pregnant state employees.
NC Council for Women and Youth Involvement’s Executive Director, Mary Williams-Stover, said the executive order will help boost morale among women workers and improve job retention, ultimately creating a stronger workforce and economy.
“Oftentimes women serve the role as caregivers for their families and in some cases, they are the sole providers of their households,” said Williams-Stover. “The executive order will help add balance to the lives of many women who often juggle careers and family, giving them a better opportunity to grow professionally and sustain a healthy family.”
NC Council for Women Advisory Board Chair Jenny Black calls the executive order a significant action toward improving the overall status of women in North Carolina.
“We applaud Governor Cooper’s leadership in issuing this executive order and his demonstrated commitment to promoting policies that support pregnant workers, ensuring their safety and preventing discrimination or retaliation,” Black said.
The Status of Women in NC: Employment and Earnings Report is one of four reports to be released by the NC Council for Women and Youth Involvement over the next three years. Future annual reports will focus on health and reproductive rights, poverty and opportunity, and political participation. To read the full Status of Women in NC: Employment & Earnings Report, please visit the NC Council for Women and Youth Involvement website.
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