- Wage Statements: Beginning January 1, 2026, at the start of employment, Rhode Island employers must provide each employee a written notice, in English, containing the following information:
- The rate or rates of pay and basis thereof, including whether the employee is to be paid by the hour, shift, day, week, salary, piece, commission, or other method, and the specific application of any additional rates;
- Allowances, if any, claimed, pursuant to permitted meals and lodging;
- Employer’s policy on sick, vacation, personal leave, holidays, and hours;
- The employee’s employment status and whether the employee is exempt from minimum wage and/or overtime;
- A list of deductions that may be made from the employee’s pay;
- The number of days in the pay period, the regularly scheduled payday, and the payday on which the employee will receive the first payment of wages earned;
- The legal name of the employer and the operating name of the employer, if different from its legal name;
- The physical address of the employer’s main office or principal place of business, and its mailing address if different; and
- The telephone number of the employer. Employers must keep a copy of the notice, signed by each employee, thereby acknowledging their receipt of the notice.
- You can find the enacted bill here.
- Organ and Bone Marrow Donation Leave: Rhode Island has amended its Temporary Disability Insurance (TDI) law to allow employees to take paid leave to undergo donation procedures, medical tests, and recovery related to being a living organ donor, or bone marrow transplant donor. Employees can take up to 30 days for organ donation, and five days for bone marrow donation. These leave benefits go into effect on January 1, 2026.
- Minimum Wage Increases for 2026 & 2027: Rhode Island will see increases to the state’s minimum wage in 2026 and 2027. A newly passed bill sets the minimum wage for at $16 per hour beginning January 1, 2026, and $17 per hour for 2027.
- “Captive Audience” Meetings Banned: Rhode Island joins several states that have passed so-called “captive audience” prohibitions, which, generally speaking, discourage employers to communicate their positions on unionization. Specifically, Rhode Island employers may no longer discharge, discipline, or otherwise penalize or threaten to discharge, discipline, or otherwise penalize or take any adverse employment action against an employee because of the employee’s refusal to:
- Attend an employer-sponsored meeting with the employer or its agent, representative or designee, the primary purpose of which is to communicate the employer’s opinion concerning religious or political matters; or
- Listen to speech or view communications, including electronic communications, from the employer or its agent, representative, or designee, the primary purpose of which is to communicate the employer’s opinion concerning religious or political matters.
- Changes to Temporary Disability Benefits Program: Regarding the state’s Temporary Disability Insurance program, Rhode Island will be increasing the wage replacement rate in 2027 and 2028, expanding the taxable wage base to $100,000, and allowing workers to use TDI benefits to care for siblings. Currently, workers can use TDI benefits to care for a seriously ill child, spouse, domestic partner, parent, parent-in-law, grandparent, or to bond with a new child. Beginning in 2026, siblings will also be included. “Sibling” means children with a common parent, including biological siblings, half-siblings, step-siblings, foster siblings, and adopted siblings. The current weekly benefit rate is equal to 4.62% of the wages paid to an employee in the highest quarter of their applicable base period. This will increase to 5.38% for 2027 and 5.77% for 2028. You can find the enacted bill here.
