Intro to Rhode Island Labor Laws

Rhode Island’s Temporary Caregiver Insurance (TCI) law has been amended to increase the amount of leave benefits available to eligible employees in coming years. Under TCI currently, employees can take six weeks of job and benefits-protected leave in a benefit year to care for a newborn, or newly adopted child, or to care for a family member with a serious health condition. Beginning January 1, 2025, employees will be entitled to seven weeks of leave, and beginning January 1, 2026, up to eight weeks of leave.

Rhode Island became the latest state to legalize recreational marijuana use and possession for adults 21 years of age or older. While employers generally cannot take adverse action against an employee based on off-duty conduct, the law does not prevent employers from prohibiting possession during work hours or taking adverse action against employees for being impaired at work, so long as such policies are in writing and provided to current and prospective employees. The law allows some increased flexibility in regulating marijuana use for employees who perform work that is “hazardous, dangerous or essential to public welfare and safety”. Employers should consider their drug testing and hiring practices in light of this new law.

Rhode Island will increase the state minimum wage to $15/hour by 2025. The minimum wage will increase annually each January 1, beginning January 1, 2022 with an increase to $12.25/hour.

On June 22, 2023, Governor Daniel McKee signed a bill into law which prohibits employers from requiring employees to sign nondisclosure or non-disparagement agreements regarding civil rights abuses as a condition of their employment. This new law safeguards an employee’s right to speak up about any potential civil rights violations or unlawful actions without fear of retaliation.

Governor McKee has signed a new pay parity law prohibiting employers from paying any employee less than another employee of a different protected class (such as race, sex, religion, national origin, disability sexual orientation and gender identity among others) for comparable work. The new law also includes a salary history ban which prohibits employers from seeking applicants’ wage histories during the application process or using such information to make decisions.