In a victory for reproductive health and freedom, Governor Roy Cooper issued an executive order that extends employment protections to state workers who are pregnant. 

No pregnant person should ever have to choose between their health and economic security. Under this new policy, the state must provide workplace adjustments to Executive Branch employees who have physical limitations related to their pregnancy, like not being able to lift heavy objects. The state also cannot force employees to take leave when a reasonable adjustment would enable them to continue working safely. The executive order also encourages companies that receive state contracts to provide the same protections to their employees. 

North Carolina is sadly one of only five states in the nation that does not have state-level protections against discrimination for pregnant workers. While today's executive order is an important step, we need the General Assembly to extend these same protections to all pregnant workers in North Carolina so that no one, no matter where they work, has to choose between a healthy pregnancy or a paycheck.