House Bill 850 - Economic Security for All

• Increases North Carolina's minimum wage in phases from $8.00/hour (Sept 2021) to $15.00/hour (Sept 2025), with federal minimum wage applying if higher.

• Requires equal pay for equal work regardless of sex, prohibits pay reductions to achieve compliance, and allows enforcement through Department of Labor complaints or civil action within two years.

• Mandates paid sick leave accrual at 1 hour per 30 hours worked (32-56 hours annually depending on employer size) for employee and family illness, medical appointments, and domestic violence/sexual assault situations.

• Strengthens wage theft protections by increasing liquidated damages to twice unpaid wages, creating wage liens on employer property, extending statute of limitations to three years for willful violations, and requiring written wage notification.

• Establishes "ban the box" for public employment by prohibiting criminal history inquiries until conditional job offer stage, and requires hazard pay for state employees during pandemics/epidemics with appropriation of $5 million for implementation.