TakeawaysRhode Island’s amended Payment of Wages law requires employers to provide written notice to each employee at the start of employment.The notice must include the employee’s pay, allowances, deductions, pay schedule, and employment status, as well as the employer’s name, address, and contact information.Employers should update their onboarding processes to ensure compliance with this newly enacted law.Related links
Articles About Rhode Island Labor And Employment Law
Defining Retail: New Rhode Island Rules Clarify Sunday and Holiday Premium Pay Calculations
The Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training (DLT) issued new rules that clarify what constitutes “retail businesses” regarding calculations of overtime pay requirements and premium pay for work on Sundays and holidays. The rules confirm the general understanding of the overtime and premium pay requirements but provide additional certainty
Rhode Island Updates Regulations on Sunday and Holiday Premium Pay
Rhode Island Updates Regulations on Sunday and Holiday Premium Pay
The Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training (DLT) has published new rules clarifying the obligation of employers to pay premium pay to employees who work on Sundays and holidays. A new regulation defines for the first time what qualifies
Rhode Island First in Nation to Require Accommodation of Employee’s Menopause, Effective Immediately
Rhode Island is the first state to expressly require employers to provide workplace accommodations for job applicants and employees who are experiencing
Rhode Island Bars Workplace Discrimination Based on Menopause Symptoms
On June 24, 2025, Rhode Island enacted a law barring employers from discriminating against workers because of their menopause symptoms. The law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations for workers experiencing menopause.
Rhode Island Takes Steps to Safeguard Judicial Officer Security
Rhode Island’s Governor recently signed the Rhode Island Judicial Security Act (H5892), which aims to bolster the privacy and security of current and
Rhode Island Becomes First State to Mandate Workplace Accommodations for Menopause
Rhode Island Becomes First State to Mandate Workplace Accommodations for Menopause
On June 24, 2025, Rhode Island Governor Daniel McKee signed into law House Bill No. 6161, making Rhode Island the first state in the nation to expressly require employers to provide workplace accommodations for applicants and employees experiencing menopause
Rhode Island Bans “Captive Audience” Meetings
Rhode Island Bans “Captive Audience” Meetings
On July 2, 2025, Rhode Island Governor Daniel McKee signed into law House Bill No. 5506 SUB A. With the stroke of a pen, Rhode Island joined the growing list of states to ban mandatory employer-sponsored meetings regarding religious and “political matters.”
The New Law
Rhode Island Legislative Update 2024: New Laws on Leave Entitlements, Minimum Wage Exemptions, and Arbitration Agreements
The Rhode Island General Assembly was active during the 2024 legislative session, passing several bills that impact employers and their business practices. Here is a summary of the new laws Rhode Island employers may need to know about.
Rhode Island’s Amended Payment of Wages Act Now Imposes Felony Penalties on Employers
Rhode Island law taking effect January 1, 2024 will impose criminal penalties on employers for knowing and willful wage and hour violations. The law also includes harsher penalties for employers generally, and those in the construction industry specifically, that misclassify workers as independent contractors.
Rhode Island Governor Signs Ban on Nondisclosure, Non-Disparagement Agreements
Rhode Island Governor Daniel McKee has signed a bill that prohibits the use of nondisclosure or non-disparagement agreements regarding civil rights abuses “as a condition of employment.” According to a recent update to the legislature’s website, the bill was signed on June 22, 2023. Quick Hits The Rhode Island governor
Rhode Island Nondisclosure Agreements Bill Moves to Governor; Senate Passes New Noncompete Ban
The Rhode Island legislature recently moved two bills forward that would limit employers’ use of restrictive covenants with employees. On June 19, 2023, the Rhode Island House of Representatives passed a bill, Senate Bill (S) 0342, that would prohibit the use of nondisclosure or non-disparagement agreements regarding civil rights abuses,
Rhode Island Enacts New “Tip Protection” Law
On June 28, 2022, Rhode Island Governor Daniel McKee signed new “tip protection” legislation. The statute prohibits employers of tipped employees from retaining employee tips, creates new requirements for tip pools, and sets requirements for deductions from tips for credit card processing.
Existing Law Regarding Tipped Employees
Employer Drug-Testing Rules Clipped by Rhode Island Marijuana Legalization
On May 25, 2022, Rhode Island Governor Daniel McKee signed into the law the Rhode Island Cannabis Act, which legalized recreational cannabis. As a result, Rhode Island has joined a small but growing minority of states that extend employment protections to employees who use marijuana during non-working hours. With
Finding Religious Accommodations in Rhode Island’s COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements for Healthcare Workers
Healthcare and healthcare-related employers have not just been at the heart of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, they have also recently been on the battleground in the fight over mandatory vaccination. Multiple states and locales have enacted some form of a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination requirement. Many of these vaccination