A GUIDEBOOK TO RHODE ISLAND’S
WAGE AND WORKPLACE
LAWS
Rev. 12/2024
RI WAGE AND WORKPLACE LAWS GUIDEBOOK, FEBRUARY 2024 1
RI WAGE AND WORKPLACE LAWS GUIDEBOOK 2
Table of Contents
The Labor Standards (Wage and Hour) Unit administers a wide range of laws that protect and promote the
interests of Rhode Island’s 500,000 workers. This Unit also devotes considerable resources, primarily through
seminars and educational materials, to encourage and assist Rhode Island’s 35,000 employers to comply with
the wage and hour laws.
Major areas of enforcement of this unit include Payment of Wages, Vacation Pay, Minimum Wage, Overtime,
Work on Sundays and Holidays, RI Parental & Family Medical Leave, Record Keeping, and hours and work of
minor employees.
Some of the following pages come directly from the RI Employer Handbook and Digest of Labor Laws. The
full version of the Handbook is available online at www.dlt.ri.gov/lmi/publications/handbook.htm.
A Message from the Director ..................................................................3
Key Points ...................................................................................................4
Frequently Asked Questions .................................................................5
Wage And Hour Facts ...............................................................................9
Minimum Wage ................................................................................................................................... 9
Overtime................................................................................................................................................ 9
Work on Sundays and Holidays .................................................................................................... 11
Wage and Hour Records ................................................................................................................ 13
CHILD LABOR - Employment of Minors ..................................................................................14
Sick and Safe Leave ......................................................................................................................... 15
Pay Equity Act ................................................................................................................................... 15
Wage Theft .......................................................................................................................................... 16
Worker Misclassification................................................................................................................. 17
Lunch Period....................................................................................................................................... 18
Lie Detector Tests Prohibited....................................................................................................... 18
Employer Transportation Service Charge ............................................................................... 19
Labor Standards Forms ....................................................................... 20
Rhode Island Minimum Wage Rates ................................................ 23
Visit DLT Career Centers....................................................................... 25
Questions and Comments ................................................................... 26
DLT Telephone Quick List ....................................................................27
Other Agencies to Contact for More Infofrmation ........................ 28
RI WAGE AND WORKPLACE LAWS GUIDEBOOK 3
A Message From the Director
The Department of Labor and Training is pleased to present this Guidebook to our clients, in particular to the
employers doing business in Rhode Island.
Rhode Island has been enforcing Wage and Hour Laws since 1940 when Public Law Chapter 895 was enacted.
The Labor Standards (Wage and Hour) Unit now administers labor laws affecting over 500,000 Rhode
Island workers, and approximately 35,000 employers through the enforcement of provisions relating to child
labor, parental and family medical leave, and payment of wages including minimum wage, overtime, and
fringe benefits upon termination. Record-keeping requirements are also enforced. Over the years, numerous
amendments have been made, and as with most laws, those affecting “Wage and Hour” have been subject to
varying interpretations. We are hopeful that this will serve as both a convenient reference and an educational
tool that is equally user-friendly and informative.
Since employers utilize many of the services offered by the Department of Labor and Training, we have
enclosed a directory for the Labor Standards (Wage and Hour) Unit as well as the DLT Career Centers and re-
employment offices.
We recognize that employers must be well-informed to operate their businesses within the boundaries of
the law. It is with this in mind that we are providing employers with this reference, as well as Seminars for
Employers. We are confident that with the Department of Labor and Training’s website, all the information
being made available will provide the necessary tools to assist you in complying with Rhode Island’s Labor
Laws.
As with any guidebook, we could not cover all situations, and it does not replace actual Rhode Island General
Statutes and regulations and/or court decisions. Contact our Labor Standards (Wage and Hour) Unit or your
legal advisor for more detailed information.
Warm regards,
Matt Weldon
Director
Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training
RI WAGE AND WORKPLACE LAWS GUIDEBOOK 4
1. Employers are required to pay non-exempt employees at least the minimum wage.
2. Employers are required to pay non-exempt employees time and one-half their regular rate of pay for hours
worked over 40 in a week.
3. Employers are required to maintain, for a period of not less than three (3) years, true and accurate records
of the name, address, occupation, rate of pay, amount paid each pay period, and hours worked each day and
each week by their employees.
4. Requirement that hourly employees be paid weekly or may petition the Director of Labor and Training to
pay biweekly.
5. Deductions permitted by state and federal law must be set forth in a Statement of Earnings provided to
employees on every regular payday or electronically. Requests for permissible deductions from the wages of
an employee must be in accordance with a written request submitted by the individual employee.
6. As of July 1, 2018, most RI employees have the legal right to earn sick and safe leave from work per RIGL
28-57.
7. As of January 1, 2023, it is unlawful for an employer to pay a differential wage based on race, color,
religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, age, and country of ancestral origin for
comparable work.
8. RI DLT adopts the Federal Economic Realities Test when determining if a worker is an “employee or a
contractor.” Employees must be paid with a payroll check with the applicable payroll deductions, and the
employer must report their employees’ wages to the RI Employer Tax Division.
Key Points Contained in This Guide
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Frequently Asked Questions about RI’s
Wage and Hour Laws
HOW IS OVERTIME TO BE PAID? WHAT ARE THE EXCEPTIONS?
Hours worked more than 40 per week are to be paid at time and one-half the worker’s regular rate of pay. Any
employee of a summer camp open no more than six months of the year, police officers, firefighters and rescue
service personnel employed by the cities and towns, employees of the state or political subdivisions of the state
who elect through collective bargaining or other agreement or understanding to receive compensatory time
off equal to one and one-half times the hours worked over 40, employees employed in a bona fide executive,
administrative or professional capacity as defined by the Fair Labor Standards Act receiving a salary of at least
$200 per week (the salary divided by the number of hours worked must not violate the applicable minimum
wage), salaried employee of a nonprofit national voluntary health agency who may elect compensatory time
off for the hours worked in excess of 40, employees including drivers, driver’s helpers, mechanics and loaders
of any motor carrier, including private carriers, with respect to whom the U.S. Secretary of Transportation has
power to establish qualifications and maximum hours of service, employee employed as a salesperson or parts
person or mechanic primarily engaged in the sale and/or servicing of automobiles, trucks or farm implements
and is employed by a non-manufacturing employer primarily engaged in the business of selling vehicles or farm
implements provided that the earnings exceed an amount equal to the employee’s basis contractual hourly rate
of pay times the number of hours actually worked plus the employee’s basic contractual hourly rate of pay times
one-half the number of hours actually worked in excess of 40 hours per week.
WHAT IS THE MINIMUM WAGE? WHAT ARE THE EXCEPTIONS?
As of January 1, 2024, the minimum wage is $14.00 per hour. Exemptions include minors, 14-15 years of age
working 24 hours or less. They may be paid 75% of the minimum wage = $10.50 per hour. If a minor works
over 24 hours, all hours must be paid at the minimum wage. For more information on the minimum wage,
including a link to the law, please visit our minimum wage web page at https://dlt.ri.gov/regulation-and-safety/
labor-standards/minimum-wage.
Other exemptions: Individuals working in or about a private home, traveling salespersons or outside
salespersons, individuals employed by his/her son, daughter, or spouse, and services performed by a child under
the age of 21 in the employ of his/her mother or father, persons employed between May 1 and October 1 in a
resort establishment which regularly serves meals to the general public and which is open for business not more
than six months a year, persons employed by an organized camp which does not operate for more than seven
months in any calendar year.
WHAT IS THE MINIMUM WAGE FOR WAIT STAFF?
Commencing January 1, 2017, wait staff must be paid at least $3.89 per hour and the number of tips received
must bring this amount to $14.00 as of January 1, 2024, for all hours worked.
WHAT TYPES OF RECORDS OF HOURS MUST BE KEPT AND WHO IS EXEMPT?
An employer must keep an accurate daily and weekly (time in and out) record for all employees. No one,
including employees paid on a salary basis, is exempt from this law. These records, along with payroll records,
must be kept for at least three years.
WHAT IS THE LAW REGARDING LUNCHES AND BREAKS?
A twenty-minute meal period must be given during a six-hour shift, and a thirty-minute meal period must be
given during an eight-hour shift. This does not include healthcare facilities or companies employing less than
three employees at one site during a shift.
RI WAGE AND WORKPLACE LAWS GUIDEBOOK 6
WHAT ARE THE LEGAL HOLIDAYS?
New Year’s Day January 1
Memorial Day Last Monday in May
Independence Day July 4
Juneteenth, National Freedom Day June 19
Victory Day Second Monday in August
Labor Day First Monday in September
Columbus Day Second Monday in October
Veterans’ Day November 11
Thanksgiving Day Fourth Thursday in November
Christmas Day December 25
I WORK FOR A MANUFACTURER ON SUNDAYS; HOW SHOULD I BE PAID?
EXEMPTIONS?
Hourly-paid employees must receive time and one-half the normal hourly rate of pay.
Exceptions include employees working in agriculture or maritime trades, physicians, dentist, attorneys at law
or accountants, health care or maintenance (hospitals, nursing homes, etc.), restaurants, hotels, motels, summer
camps, resorts, or other recreational facility (except health clubs), salaried employees in a bona fide executive,
professional or administrative capacity, telephonic delivery of customer service, sales operations, and ancillary
services related thereto except for employment in the telecommunications industry which is part of any
collective bargaining agreement or employment contract.
IF I WORK MORE THAN 40 HOURS IN A WEEK AND 8 HOURS ON A HOLIDAY,
HOW AM I TO BE PAID?
If you work in non-retail, the hours over 40 are to be paid at time and one-half, the holiday is to be paid at time
and one-half and the remainder is to be paid straight time. Example: Total hours 60 and eight of these hours
were worked on a holiday. Extract the overtime hours from the total = 20, these hours are to be paid at time and
one half. Extract the eight from the remaining forty = 32. Eight hours are to be paid time and one-half premium
pay for working the holiday and 32 hours are straight time.
If you work in retail, the holiday hours are extracted first and paid at time and one half. If there are hours over
40 in the balance, these hours are to be paid at time and one half also. Example: Same as above, extract the
holiday hours from the total hours and the balance is 52. The eight hours are to be paid at time and one-half
premium pay. Because there are hours over forty in the balance, these 12 hours must be paid at time and one
half for the overtime. The balance of 40 is paid at straight time. The city/town councils shall grant licenses for
the sale by retail establishments at any place in that town or city designated in those licenses on Sundays.
IF I AM PAID HOURLY, SHOULD I BE PAID WEEKLY?
Yes, exemptions are employees of the state and its political subdivisions and of religious, literary, or charitable
corporations and those employees whose compensation is fixed at a biweekly, semi-monthly, monthly, or
yearly rate. The latter being employees paid a salary. The director may, upon written petition showing good
and sufficient reason, permit the employer and its affiliates to pay wages less frequently than weekly provided:
1.) The employer’s average payroll exceeds 200% of the state minimum wage as defined in § 28-12-3; 2.)
The employer makes payment of wages regularly on a predesignated date no less than twice per month; and
RI WAGE AND WORKPLACE LAWS GUIDEBOOK 7
3.) The employer provides proof of a surety bond or other sufficient demonstration of security in the amount
of the highest biweekly payroll exposure in the preceding year for the employees subject to the petition; 4.) If
the involved employees are subject to collective bargaining, the employer provides the written consent of the
collective bargaining representative for all involved employees.
HOW AM I TO BE PAID, AND HOW IS A PAYDAY ESTABLISHED?
Every employer must establish a regular payday on which wages shall be paid in full in lawful money of the
United States or checks on banks convertible into cash on demand. Every payday shall fall within nine (9)
days of the end of a payroll period. Every employee shall be notified in writing or by posted notice that may be
readily seen, of a change in the scheduled payday at least three (3) paydays in advance of a scheduled change.
IS IT A LAW THAT I SHOULD BE RECEIVING A STATEMENT OF EARNINGS
(PAY STUB)?
On every regular payday, the employer shall furnish to any employee a statement of the hours worked during
the applicable pay period, a record of all deductions made from that employee’s gross earnings with an
explanation of the basis or reason for such deductions.
WHAT IS THE VACATION LAW?
Whenever an employee is separated from the payroll of an employer, after completing at least one (1) year
of service, any vacation pay accrued by collective bargaining, company policy, or other agreement between
employer and employee shall become wages and payable in full or on a prorated basis with all other due wages
on the next regular payday for the employee.
I WORK ON A CASH REGISTER AND AT TIMES THE DRAWER IS SHORT.
CAN THE EMPLOYER DEDUCT THE SHORTAGE FROM MY PAY?
An employer may not deduct for shortages, damages, rent, uniforms, or any other reason (except applicable
taxes). An employer may make a deduction for a loan or advance against future earnings if evidenced by a
statement in writing signed by the employee with the amount to be deducted each pay period. The statement
may read “balance due upon separation.”
I WAS PROMISED A BONUS FROM MY EMPLOYER, BUT HE HAS NOT PAID IT
YET. CAN YOU HELP ME?
No. The payment of any bonus in addition to the payment of wages will not be subject to the provision of this
chapter.
WHAT HOURS CAN 16–17-YEAR-OLD MINORS WORK AND HOW MANY
HOURS?
Not before 6:00 a.m. or later than 11:30 p.m. (if no classes are scheduled on the following day, minor may be
employed until 1:30 a.m.) If the minor is not a student, there is no curfew. Maximum hours in RI are 9 hours per
day (9 3/5 hours per day in a 5-day work week), 48 hours per week.
WHAT HOURS CAN 14–15-YEAR-OLD MINORS WORK AND HOW MANY
HOURS?
Not before 6:00 a.m. or later than 7:00 p.m. (except 9:00 p.m. during school vacations). Federal Law is not
before 7:00 a.m. or later than 7:00 p.m. (except 9:00 p.m. from June 1 through Labor Day). Maximum hours
in Rhode Island are 8 hours per day, 40 hours per week. Federal is 3 hours per day (school day), 8 hours non-
school day, 18 hours per week (school week), and 40 hours non-school week.
RI WAGE AND WORKPLACE LAWS GUIDEBOOK 8
WHAT KIND OF WORK CAN A 14–15-YEAR-OLD DO? WHAT KIND OF
WORK CAN THEY NOT DO?
Permitted but not limited to office and clerical (including office machines), cashier, bagger, price marking,
landscaping (no power-driven machines), cleaning, waiting tables, bussing tables, and dishwashing.
Not permitted but not limited to manufacturing, mining, processing food or materials, laundry (washers/dryers),
warehouse, construction, freezers, meat coolers, loading and unloading from trucks, railroad cars or conveyors,
jewelry processing (by hand, or machine), bakeries (except strictly counter help), on any dock (public or
private), dispensing gasoline, oil, any work in a car wash.
CAN A PERSON PROCESS JEWELRY IN THEIR HOME? WHERE CAN JEWELRY
WORK BE PERFORMED?
No, jewelry homework is prohibited. Performing jewelry homework may and has violated the minimum wage,
overtime, records of hours, payment of wages, and child labor laws. Also, some materials used in certain
processes may be hazardous to a person’s health. Upon receiving a complaint, an examiner will visit the
home and confiscate the work being processed. The work is then returned to its rightful owner and the case
is forwarded to the Attorney General for prosecution (both the homeworker(s) and person(s) giving out the
homework).
This office registers contract shops and issues contract shop permits. The shop must exist separate and apart
from a home, where zoning permits, and have adequate heat, lighting, and toilet facilities. The application fee
is $120.00. An examiner will inspect the shop to ensure compliance. Permits expire on September 30th of each
year.
WHAT IS THE PARENTAL AND FAMILY LEAVE ACT?
The R.I. Parental and Family Medical Leave Act is thirteen consecutive weeks of unpaid leave for the birth of a
child, placement of an adopted child sixteen years of age or younger, or a serious illness or injury, impairment,
or condition that involves inpatient care in a hospital, nursing home or hospice, or outpatient care requiring
continuing treatment or supervision by a health care provider.
Family member means parent, spouse, child, mother-in-law, father-in-law, or the employee.
Requirement: Must have been employed for 12 consecutive months, give the employer written 30-day notice
(unless prevented by medical emergency), the company must employ 50 or more employees.
Before the commencement of parental or family leave, the employee shall pay to the employer a sum equal
to the premium required to maintain the employee’s health benefits in force during the period of leave. The
employer shall return such payment to the employee within ten (10) days following the employee’s return to
employment.
Upon expiration of such leave, the employee is entitled to be restored by the employer to the position held when
the leave commenced or to a position with equivalent seniority, status, employment benefits, pay, and other
terms and conditions of employment.
RI WAGE AND WORKPLACE LAWS GUIDEBOOK 9
Wage and Hour Facts from the RI Digest of
Labor Laws
MINIMUM WAGE
The minimum wage for all workers 16 years of age and older: 1/1/24, $14.00 per hour.
EXCEPTIONS
1. Full-time students under 19 years of age working in nonprofit religious, educational, library, or community
service organizations: 1/1/24, $12.60 per hour (90% of applicable minimum).
2. 14 and 15-year-olds who do not work more than 24 hours a week. (For any week in which a 14 and 15-year-
old works more than 24 hours the higher applicable minimum rate must be paid for all hours worked in that
week.) 1/1/24, $10.50 per hour (75% of applicable minimum).
3. Workers employed in domestic service in or about a private home, Federal service, voluntary service in
educational, charitable, religious, or nonprofit organizations where employer/employee relationships do not
exist, newspaper carriers on home delivery, shoeshine persons, caddies on golf courses, ushers in theaters,
traveling or outside sales occupations.
Also: Service performed by an individual employed by son or daughter, or minor child employed by parent.
Occupations in resort establishments serving meals to the general public that are not open more than six (6)
months during the year- between May 1 and October 1 only - and any individual employed by an organized
camp having a structured program including but not limited to recreation, education, and religion, or any
combination thereof. Such an individual must not be employed by the organization on an annual full-time basis
and such a camp must not operate for more than seven (7) months in any calendar year. This exemption does not
apply to employees of trailer camps. (General Law 28-12)
OVERTIME
All employees must be paid time and one-half the worker’s regular rate for all hours over forty (40) in one
week. Workers paid bi-weekly must be compensated at time and one-half the employee’s regular rate for all
hours worked beyond forty (40) in any one workweek.
Provided, however, in any workweek in which an employee of a retail business is employed on a Sunday and/
or holiday at a rate of one and one-half (1 1/2) times the regular rate at which he or she is employed as provided
in Section 5-23-2 the hours worked on such Sunday and/or holiday shall be excluded from the calculation of
overtime pay as required by this section.
EXCEPTIONS OF OVERTIME
Rhode Island General Law Section 28-12-4.3 Exemptions:
(a) The provisions of sections 28-12-4.1 and 28-12-4.2 above shall not apply to the following employees:
1. Any employee of a summer camp when it is open no more than six (6) months of the year.
2. Police Officers, Firefighters, and Rescue Service Personnel employed by the cities and towns.
3. Employees of the state or political subdivisions of the state may elect through a collective bargaining
agreement, memorandum of understanding, or any other agreement between the employer and
representatives of the employees, or if the employees are not represented by an exclusive bargaining
agent, through an agreement or understanding arrived at between the employer and the employee before
the performance of work, to receive compensatory time off for hours worked more than forty (40) in a
week, provided that the compensatory hours shall at least equal one and one-half (1 1/2) times the hours
worked over forty (40) in a week. If compensation is paid to an employee for accrued compensatory
RI WAGE AND WORKPLACE LAWS GUIDEBOOK 10
time, such compensation shall be paid at the regular rate earned by the employee at the time of payment.
At the time of termination, unused accrued compensatory time shall be paid at a rate not less than:
A) the average regular rate received by the employee during the last three (3) years of the employee’s
employment, or
B) the final regular rate received by such employee whichever is higher.
4. Any employee employed in a bona fide executive, administrative, or professional capacity, as defined
by the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, as now or hereafter amended, compensated for services on a
salary basis of not less than two hundred dollars ($200) per week.
5. Any employee, as defined in subsection (4) above unless the wages of said employee, if computed on an
hourly basis, would violate the applicable minimum wage law.
6. Any salaried employee of a nonprofit national voluntary health agency who may elect to receive
compensatory time off for hours worked in excess of forty (40) hours per week.
7. Any employee, including drivers, driver’s helpers, mechanics, and loaders of any motor carrier,
including private carriers, with respect to whom the U.S. Secretary of Transportation has power to
establish qualifications and maximum hours of service pursuant to the provisions of 49 U.S.C. Section
3102.
8. Any employee who is a salesperson, parts person, or mechanic primarily engaged in the sale and/
or servicing of automobiles, trucks, or farm implements, and is employed by a non-manufacturing
employer primarily engaged in the business of selling such vehicles or farm implements to ultimate
purchasers, to the extent that said employers are exempt under the Federal Wage-Hour and Equal Pay
Act, Title 29, U.S.C. Section 201 et seq. and Title 29 U.S.C. Section 213 (b) (10); provided that the
employee’s weekly, biweekly or monthly actual earnings exceed an amount equal to the employee’s
basic contractual hourly rate of pay times the number of hours actually worked plus the employee’s
basic contractual hourly rate of pay times one-half the number of hours actually worked over forty (40)
hours per week.
9. Any employee employed in agriculture; however, this exemption applies to all agricultural enterprises
that produce greenhouse crops, fruit and vegetable crops, herbaceous crops, sod crops, viticulture,
viniculture, floriculture, feed for livestock, forestry, dairy farming, aquaculture, the raising of livestock,
furbearing animals, poultry and eggs, bees and honey, mushrooms, and nursery stock. This exemption
also applies to nursery workers; and
10. Any employee of an air carrier subject to the provisions of 45 U.S.C. § 181 et seq., of the Railway
Labor Act when the hours worked by that employee in excess of forty (40) in a workweek are not
required by the air carrier, but are arranged through a voluntary agreement among employees to trade
scheduled work hours.
(b) Nothing in this section exempts any employee who under applicable federal law is entitled to overtime pay
or benefits related to overtime pay.
WAGES FOR FAILURE TO FURNISH SHIFT WORK
An employer in any industry who requests or permits any employee to report for duty at the beginning of a
work shift and three (3) hours of work not furnished on that shift, the employer must pay the employee for three
(3) hours of work at the employee’s regular rate of pay. Retail establishment employees must be provided with
four (4) hours work on Sundays and Holidays. If an employee reports for work at the beginning of a work shift
and the employer offers no work to perform the employer must still pay the employee for three (3) hours at the
employee’s regular rate of pay. An employer and an employee can enter into an agreement to work less than
three (3) hours per day and not be subject to the 3-hour minimum shift.
RI WAGE AND WORKPLACE LAWS GUIDEBOOK 11
WORK ON SUNDAYS AND HOLIDAYS
Work performed on Sundays and holidays must be paid at the rate of time and one-half unless qualified as an
exception under General Law 25-3. Employees cannot be discharged or penalized for refusing to work on any
Sunday or holiday unless they are employed by a manufacturer which operates for seven (7) continuous days
per week.
LEGAL HOLIDAYS
“Holidays” shall mean Sunday; New Year’s Day, January 1; Memorial Day, the last Monday in May;
Independence Day, July 4; Juneteenth, National Freedom Day, June 19; Victory Day, second Monday in
August; Labor Day, the first Monday in September; Columbus Day, second Monday in October; Veterans’
Day, November 11; Thanksgiving Day (by proclamation of the Governor), fourth Thursday in November; and
Christmas Day, December 25.
RETAIL SELLING
The town council of any town shall grant licenses for the sale by retail establishments at any place in that town
or city designated in those licenses on holidays enumerated in section 5-23-1. However, no license shall be
issued on December 25 of any year or on that holiday known as Thanksgiving day, except to: (a) pharmacies
licensed under Chapter 19 of Title 5 with a licensed pharmacist who is employed by the pharmacy and available
on the premises to provide pharmaceutical services during all hours of the pharmacy’s operation on said days;
(b) retail establishments which principally sell food products as defined in section 44-18-30(J) and which
employ fewer than six (6) employees per shift at any one location; (c) retail establishments principally engaged
in the sale of cut flowers, floral products, plants, shrubs, trees, fertilizers, seeds, bulbs, and garden accessories;
(d) retail establishments principally engaged in the sale and/or rental of video cassette tapes; and (e) retail
establishments principally engaged in the preparation and/or sale of bakery products.
Retail establishments may be open on any day of the year except as specifically prohibited in General Law
5-23-2. A retail establishment shall not be open on a holiday unless licensed by the appropriate town council
pursuant to this section. Licenses are not granted for Sundays; however, these businesses must check with the
city/town in the event the city/town may have a provision as to Sunday hours.
Retail establishments licensed pursuant to this section shall be exempt from the provisions of Chapter 40
of Title 11, entitled “Sunday Laws”, and Chapter 1 of Title 25, entitled “Holidays and Days of Special
Observance,” and those establishments may sell any and all items sold in the ordinary course of business except
for alcoholic beverages.
All employees engaged in work during Sundays or holidays pursuant to the provisions of this section shall
receive from their employer no less than time and one-half for the work so performed and shall be guaranteed
at least a minimum of four (4) hours employment; except those employees referred to in section 28-12-4.3(a)
(4), provided that the work so performed by the employee shall be strictly voluntary and refusal to work for any
retail establishment on a Sunday or holiday shall not be a ground for discrimination, dismissal or discharge or
any other penalty upon the employee. The town council may fix and cause to be paid into the town treasury for
each license issued pursuant to this section a fee not to exceed the sum of one hundred dollars ($100) and may
fix the time or times when the license granted shall terminate; provided, however, that the town council shall
not charge a licensing fee to any charitable, benevolent, educational, philanthropic, humane, patriotic, social
service, civic, fraternal, police, fire, labor or religious organization that is not operated for profit.
Retail establishments engaged principally in the preparation and/or sale of bakery products and pharmacies shall
be licensed before the sale thereof in accordance with this section, provided however, that the time and one-half
and voluntary work provisions shall not apply.
RI WAGE AND WORKPLACE LAWS GUIDEBOOK 12
INSPECTION OF RECORDS
Examiners of the Division of Labor Standards are authorized to investigate and ascertain the wages of persons
employed in any occupation in this state; to enter and inspect the place of business or employment of employer
in the state to examine and inspect any and all books, registers, payrolls, and other records of such employer
that in any way relate to or have a bearing on the question of wages, hours, and other conditions of employment
of any employees, and may question such employees to ascertain whether the provisions of the Minimum Wage
Law and the orders and regulations issued thereunder have been and are being complied with.
GRATUITIES (TIPS) AND GRATUITY ALLOWANCE
Gratuities shall mean voluntary monetary compensation received by the employee for services rendered. An
employee working in an occupation where it is customary to receive gratuities must be paid the stated minimum
rates. However, in any week when the wages for such an employee are computed, the employer may credit tips
so received as part of the wages under the following conditions:
The amount of gratuities credited may not exceed 50% of the applicable minimum wage. From time to time the
mandated employer’s minimum contribution toward service employee’s wages may exceed the amount required
by the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Where there is coverage under both state and federal law the
higher or more restrictive standard takes precedence.
Minimum Wage Minimum Share Maximum Tip credit
1/1/19 $10.50 $3.89 $6.61
1/1/20 $11.50 $3.89 $7.61
1/1/22 $12.25 $3.89 $8.36
1/1/23 $13.00 $3.89 $9.11
1/1/24 $14.00 $3.89 $10.11
The employer must have received and kept as part of permanent payroll records for that week a statement
signed by the employee certifying the amount of gratuities, as credited, has been received.
Effective 7/1/99, gratuity allowance may be taken for bus persons in the same manner as wait staff. The
Director of Labor and Training will accept the following statement, when filled out and signed by the worker,
as substantial evidence that the amount of gratuities claimed by the employer as part of the minimum wage was
received by the employee. N.B.: The worker must fill in the amount of tips and sign. (File with payroll records)
The Week of _____________________________________, I received $ ____________________ in gratuities.
MONTH DAY YEAR AMOUNT
(tips) for ___________________________ hours worked as an employee of _____________________________________
TOTAL HOURS EMPLOYER’S NAME
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
EMPLOYEE’S SIGNATURE
Workers signing for gratuities to be deducted from the minimum wage are entitled to a hearing in the Division
of Labor Standards, if they so desire. (General Law 28-12-5)
RI WAGE AND WORKPLACE LAWS GUIDEBOOK 13
WORKERS WITH DISABILITIES
The Director of Labor and Training may provide by regulation, after a public hearing at which any person
may be heard, for the employment in any occupation at wages lower than the wage rates applicable under this
chapter of individuals whose earning capacity is impaired by physical or mental disability as he or she may find
appropriate to prevent curtailment of employment opportunities, to avoid undue hardship, and to safeguard the
applicable wage rates under this chapter. No employee shall be employed at wages fixed pursuant to this section
except under a special license issued under applicable regulations of the director of labor and training. (General
Law 28-12-9)
WAGE AND HOUR RECORDS
Every employer shall keep complete and accurate records for all employees as follows: Names, addresses,
and ages of all workers, occupations, wage rates, hours worked each day and each week, and wages paid each
pay period. Such records must be kept on file for at least three (3) years after the entry of the record and must
be open to inspection by the Department of Labor and Training at any reasonable time. Firms covered by the
provisions of the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act are required to keep records on file for three (3) years from
the date of entry. (General Law 28-14-12)
WAGE PAYMENT AND COLLECTION
All employers, including the state and its political subdivisions, shall establish a regular payday within nine
(9) days from the end of the payroll period on which all wages shall be paid in full in cash or checks on banks
convertible into cash on demand at full face value.
Frequency of payment [Effective January 1, 2014] –every employee, other than employees of the state and its
political subdivisions, and of religious, literary, or charitable corporations, shall be paid weekly all due wages
from his or her employer, except those employees whose compensation is fixed at a biweekly, semi-monthly,
monthly or yearly rate. The director may, upon written petition showing good and sufficient reason, permit
employers in the state of Rhode Island to pay less frequently than weekly if they follow the procedure as
outlined in RI GL 28-14-2.2.
Notice of any changes in a scheduled payday shall be given to employees at least three (3) paydays in advance
of the change.
On payday, each employer shall furnish to each employee a pay envelope or other statement showing gross
wages, net wages paid, hours worked, legal deductions made, an explanation of the basis or reason for such
deduction, and, for employers engaged only in the commercial construction industry, a record of the employee’s
hourly regular rate of pay. As used in this subsection, the term commercial construction industry will include
a business that engages in the doing of work or the furnishing of materials, or both, in the building, erection,
alteration, or preparation of an improvement on commercial real property.
The net wages of any employee may, with the consent of both the employee and the employer, be deposited
directly into the employee’s checking, savings, or share account in a financial organization selected by the
employee. Rhode Island law protects workers against nonpayment of wages and provides penalties for
violations. The Director of Labor and Training is empowered to collect wages if claims are filed within three (3)
years of the date earned. (General Law 28-14-20)
DEDUCTIONS
Except for federal taxes, state taxes, and social security charges, deductions from wages are not permitted,
however, any employer granting his employee a loan or advance against future earnings or wages may deduct
the same as a setoff or counterclaim only if evidenced by a statement in writing signed by said employee.
Deductions for alleged damage to the employer’s property or for rent due employer are specifically prohibited.
Also barred are deductions connected with past or present indebtedness.
RI WAGE AND WORKPLACE LAWS GUIDEBOOK 14
Deductions from an employee’s wages for pension, welfare, vacation, health plan, and annuity of life coverage
are allowed without the employee’s written permission, provided a collective bargaining agreement is in force.
Deductions for union dues, health care coverage, United Way, payroll savings, stock purchase, pension plan,
or insurance are permitted with the written authorization of the employee. Deductions of premium for prepaid
legal services are permitted with the written authorization of the employee. (General Law 28-14)
Whenever an employer shall provide for a payroll deduction for any purpose, the employer shall transfer those
funds deducted to the appropriate person, agency, partnership, or corporation entitled to the monies deducted,
within twenty-one (21) days following the last day of the month in which the deduction is made, except,
when the person, agency, partnership or corporation entitled to monies deducted permits otherwise in writing.
(General Law 28-14-3.1)
Wages upon Separation - Whenever an employee is separated from the payroll, the unpaid wages or
compensation of such employee shall become due on the next regular payday and payable at the usual place of
payment.
Wages upon Separation as Vacation Pay - Whenever an employee is separated from the payroll of an employer,
after completing at least one (1) year of service, any vacation pay accrued by collective bargaining, company
policy, or other agreement between employer and employee shall become wages and payable in full or on a
prorated basis with all other due wages on the next regular payday for the employee.
Benefits as Wages - Whenever an employer separates an employee from the payroll as a result of said employer
liquidating the business, merging the business, disposing of the business, or removing the business out of state,
all wages become immediately due and payable within twenty-four (24) hours of the time of separation at the
usual place of payment, additionally, if said employee has completed at least one (1) year of service with said
employer, holiday pay, vacation pay in full or on a prorated basis and insurance benefits due such employee
under a collective bargaining agreement, company policy or other agreement between said employer and
employee shall be considered as unpaid wages due and payable within twenty-four (24) hours of the time of
separation at the usual place of payment.
Attachments or Garnishments - Federal law defines wages that may be attached as disposable earnings, or those
earnings left after payment of legal deductions for federal and state taxes. Only (a) 25% of disposable earnings
or (b) the amount by which the disposable earnings exceed thirty (30) times the Federal minimum hourly wage
may be garnished.
Employees who have been on relief are exempt from attachment for one (1) year after the debtor ceases
receiving relief. An employee may not be discharged for more than one garnishment if made for the same debt.
Wage garnishment exemption does not apply to court orders regarding alimony or child support. (General Law
9-26-4)
CHILD LABOR - EMPLOYMENT OF MINORS
Under 14: No child under 14 years of age may be employed at any time in any capacity except in a private
home or on a farm. (General Law 28-3)
Minors 14 and 15 years of age: Part-time and vacation employment in business and mercantile establishments is
allowed only by permit from the local school department for minors 14 and 15 years of age. Such employment
shall not take place during the hours when school is in session and shall not exceed eight (8) hours in any
one day or forty (40) hours in any one week and shall not take place before 6 A.M. nor after 7 P.M. (9 P.M.
during school vacation). Federal law prohibits employment over three (3) hours per day on school days, or
over eighteen (18) hours per week- when school is in session. This more stringent standard must be adhered to
whenever the establishment is covered by the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Minors under 16 are
not permitted to work in factories, manufacturing, mechanical or processing establishments in any capacity at
any time. (General Law 28-3-1, 28-3-11)
RI WAGE AND WORKPLACE LAWS GUIDEBOOK 15
Any minor between the ages of 16 and 18 may be employed during school vacations without limitations as to
the total hours to be worked in a given week or calendar day, provided the provisions of all other applicable
federal and state laws and regulations are complied with.
Minors 16 and 17 years of age: Under a 1980 amendment 16 and 17-year-old workers who have left school are
no longer restricted by a curfew. However, 16 and 17-year-old students are not permitted to work between the
hours of 11:30 P.M. and 6:00 A.M. the following day if that day is a school day. When no classes are scheduled,
the curfew is extended to 1:30 A.M.
No minor, 16 or 17 years of age, shall work more than 48 hours in any one week, nor more than nine (9) hours
in any one day unless the 48 hours are worked in five (5) days. In which case, the minor may work 9 3/5 hours
per day.
There shall be an interval (or period of cessation of work) of not less than eight (8) hours between the ending of
the period of work on one calendar day and the beginning of a period of work on the subsequent day. (General
Law 28-3-11)
SICK AND SAFE LEAVE
As of July 1, 2018, most RI employees have the legal right to earn sick and safe leave from work per RI General
Law §28-57. The Healthy and Safe Families and Workplaces Act gives Rhode Island employees the right to take
time off from work to care for themselves when they are too sick to work, are injured, or have a routine medical
appointment. They may also use earned leave to deal with the impact of domestic violence, sexual assault, or
stalking. In addition, they may use earned leave to assist their child, spouse, domestic partner, or other member
of their household for the same purposes.
Employers with 18 or more employees must provide paid sick and safe leave. Employers with 17 or fewer
employees must provide earned sick and safe leave, but it does not need to be paid.
Employees may earn sick/safe leave based on their employer’s policy, or, under this act, they are entitled to
earn at least one hour of sick/safe leave for every 35 hours worked. Time starts accruing on the first day of
employment. Starting in 2020, full-time employees may earn and use up to 40 hours per year. Once the annual
cap is reached, accrual stops. Employers may elect to offer more. Potential waiting periods to use earned leave
are:
• 90 days for new employees;
• 180 days for temporary employees;
• 150 days for seasonal employees.
Employers may not take adverse action against an employee for attempting to exercise their legal right to use
earned sick/safe leave. Examples include denying the use of time, giving undesirable assignments, reducing
work hours, or demotion.
PAY EQUITY ACT
Pursuant to Rhode Island General Law § 28- 6-18, it is unlawful for an employer to pay a differential wage based
on race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, disability, age, and country
of ancestral origin for comparable work. Please visit the www.dlt.ri.gov/regulation-and-safety/labor-standards
website for a list of factors when the differential wage is permissible.
Employers are prohibited from inquiring into or requiring the disclosure of a job applicant’s wage history, from
relying upon a job applicant’s wage history when considering the individual’s candidacy, and from setting a
minimum or maximum threshold of prior wage earnings as a condition of employment.
Pursuant to Rhode Island General Law § 28- 6-18, it is unlawful for an employer to prohibit employees from
discussing wages or asking other employees about their wages. Employers may not request or require that
employees or applicants waive the right to discuss wages.
RI WAGE AND WORKPLACE LAWS GUIDEBOOK 16
Any discriminatory or disciplinary action taken against an employee for exercising these rights under the Act, or
for opposing any practice made unlawful by the Act, is prohibited.
WAGE THEFT
◦ Misdemeanor charges may be brought forth by the Attorney General’s Office if it is established that
an employer withheld owed wages from an employee.
• Misdemeanor Penalties
• If convicted, or upon entry of a guilty plea, a defendant charged under these provisions is
subject to:
◦ Imprisonment of up to one (1) year;
◦ A fine of up to $4,000; or
◦ Both imprisonment and fine.
◦ Felony Charges
■ The law authorizes the Attorney General’s Office to bring felony charges where each of the
following elements are alleged:
■ An employer withheld owed wages from an employee; and
■ The employer did so knowingly and willfully; and
■ The amount owed to the employee in unpaid wages exceeds $1,500.
■ Felony Penalties
• If convicted, or upon entry of a guilty plea, a defendant charged under these provisions is
subject to:
◦ Imprisonment of up to one (3) years;
◦ A fine of up to $5,000; or
◦ Both imprisonment and fine.
RI WAGE AND WORKPLACE LAWS GUIDEBOOK 17
WORKER MISCLASSIFICATION
Rhode Island employers must generally withhold state and federal income taxes, Social Security and Medicare
taxes, and pay unemployment taxes on wages paid to employees. They must also pay Workers’ Compensation
premiums on the employees.
An employee is anyone performing service for an employer who controls what will be done and how it will be
done by the worker.
Independent Contractors have an independent trade, business, or profession. Their services are offered to the
public and they have the right to control the means and methods of how the work is performed. The RI DLT
enforces the US DOL Economic Realties Test when determining if a worker is an employee or an independent
contractor.
◦ Civil penalties may be brought forth by the Department if it is established that an employer
misclassified one or more employee(s) as independent contractors.
• First violation: A fine of between $1,500 and $3,000 per misclassified employee
• Subsequent violations: A fine of up to $5,000 per misclassified employee
◦ Criminal charges may be brought forth by the Attorney General’s Office if it is established that an
employer misclassified one or more employee(s) as independent contractors.
• The law authorizes the Attorney General’s Office to bring misdemeanor charges if:
• An employer is within the Construction Industry1;
• The employer knowingly and willfully misclassified one or more employee(s); and
• This is a first offense.
• Misdemeanor Penalties
• If convicted, or upon entry of a guilty plea, a defendant charged under these provisions is
subject to:
◦ Imprisonment of up to one (1) year;
◦ A fine of up to $1,000; or
◦ Both imprisonment and fine.
• The law authorizes the Attorney General’s Office to bring felony charges if:
• An employer is within the Construction Industry; and
• The employer has previously been found to have committed misclassification of one or more
employee(s); and
• The effect of the misclassification deprives the employee of at least $1,500 in wages.
• Felony Penalties
• If convicted, or upon entry of a guilty plea, a defendant charged under these provisions is
subject to:
◦ Imprisonment of up to three (3) years;
◦ A fine of up to $,000; or
◦ Both imprisonment and fine.
1 Definition of Construction Industry under the law: “Construction industry” means the business of constructing, reconstructing, altering,
maintaining, moving, rehabilitating, repairing, renovating, or demolition of any building, structure, or improvement to the excavation of or other
development or improvement to land, highways, or other real property.
RI WAGE AND WORKPLACE LAWS GUIDEBOOK 18
LUNCH PERIOD
A twenty-minute meal period must be given during a six-hour shift, and a thirty-minute meal period must be
given during an eight-hour shift. This does not include healthcare facilities or companies employing less than
three employees at one site during a shift.
INDUSTRIAL HOMEWORK
Rhode Island law provides for the strict control and gradual elimination of industrial homework. The Director
of Labor and Training may issue licenses to employers in certain industries to distribute work or processing by
home workers certified by the department. No homework licenses may be issued to industries that have not been
susceptible to effective regulation.
CONTRACT SHOPS
Contract shops servicing the jewelry industry may operate only under an annual permit issued through the
Division of Labor Standards. The permit fee is one hundred twenty dollars ($120) per year, renewable October
1, each year. No jewelry contract work may be processed except in a shop and location approved and registered
with the division. No jewelry work may be processed in any home or part thereof. (General Law 28-18)
PARENTAL AND FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE
The Rhode Island law is a parental and family leave statute that applies to all employers that employ fifty (50)
or more employees. It states that every employee who has worked for his/her employer for at least twelve (12)
months must be given thirteen (13) consecutive weeks of parental or family leave in any two (2) calendar years.
The statute requires employees to give advance notice of up to thirty (30) days of the intended starting and
ending dates unless prevented from doing so by a medical emergency.
Under this law, an employee may take parental or family leave for one of three reasons: The birth of the
employee’s child; the adoption of a child 16 years of age or less by the employee; or the serious illness of
a family member or the employee him or herself. Upon expiration of the leave, the employee must either
be restored to the position he or she previously held when the leave commenced, or to a position with like
seniority, status, benefits, pay, and other terms and conditions of employment; including fringe benefits and
service credits that the employee had been entitled to at the commencement of the leave. The health insurance
provisions in the law provide that an employer is obligated to continue the employee’s health insurance
benefits, but that the employee can be required to pay the premiums before his/her departure. If the employee
returns, the employer is obligated to return the amounts paid within ten (10) days after the employee’s return to
employment.
An employee who has been employed by the same employer for twelve (12) consecutive months shall be
entitled to a total of ten (10) hours of leave during any twelve (12) month period to attend school conferences
or other school-related activities for a child of whom the employee is the parent, foster parent or guardian.
The employee must provide a twenty- four (24) hour prior notice of the leave and make a reasonable effort to
schedule the leave to not unduly disrupt the operation of the employer.
LIE DETECTOR TESTS PROHIBITED
No employer or agent of any employer shall require or subject any employee to any lie detector tests as a
condition of employment or continued employment. (General Law 28-6.1-1)
PHYSICAL EXAMINATIONS
Whenever any employer shall require a physical examination before employment, the cost of such examination
shall be paid by the employer whether or not the prospective employee is hired. (General Law 28-6.2-1)
RI WAGE AND WORKPLACE LAWS GUIDEBOOK 19
GENETIC TESTING
No employer, employment agency or licensing agency shall request, require or administer a genetic test to any
person as a condition of employment, or affect the terms, conditions, or privileges of employment or licensure
or terminate the employment or licensure of any person who obtains a genetic test. No person may sell to or
interpret for an employer, employment agency, or licensing agency a genetic test of a current or prospective
employee or licensee. (General Law 28-6.7-1)
EMPLOYER TRANSPORTATION SERVICE CHARGE
No employer or agent of a temporary placement staffing agency shall require its employee to provide
transportation to other employees as a condition of employment, charge an employee for transport services
provided to that employee, or charge or collect fees from its employees for transportation services provided by
other employees, the employer, or by a subcontracted transportation company. Any employer as defined, may
purchase public transportation bus passes and deduct not more than fifty percent (50%) of the actual cost of
the bus pass from an employee’s total daily wages, provided, however, that the employee participation in an
employer public transportation bus pass program shall be strictly voluntary and shall require the express written
authorization of the employee, in the employee’s primary language. Any employer may offer transportation
services to an employee and charge a fee, payable to the employer only, for such services provided the amount
charged is not more than the actual cost to transport such employee and the amount does not exceed three
dollars ($3.00) per day. Employee participation in an employer transportation program shall be strictly voluntary
and shall require the express written authorization of the employee, in the employee’s primary language.
(General Law 28-6.11)
Labor Standards Forms
Form: Employee Biweekly Pay Application
Audience: Employers
Purpose: Decrease the frequency of weekly payroll
There are several forms that Labor Standards utilizes. They are available for download online at www.dlt.ri.gov/
ls/LSforms.htm. Listed here are the forms and a sample of what they look like as well as when and why they
need to be filled out.
Form: Bi-Weekly Pay Affidavit of Continued Compliance
Audience: Employers
Purpose: Notarized statement of continued compliance
Example of Letter of Credit for Biweekly Pay Application
Form: Mandatory Overtime Complaint Form
Audience: Nurses and Certified Nurse Assistants
Purpose: Report forced overtime
Form: Nonpayment of Wages Complaint Form
Audience: Employees
Purpose: Report nonpayment of wages
Pay Equity Complaint Form
Audience: Employees
Purpose: Report disparity in wages
Intent to Employ a Minor Form
Audience: Employers
Purpose: Required to hire a minor under 18 years of age
Special Limited Permit to Work for minors 14-15 years old
Audience: School Departments
Purpose: Required to employ a minor under 16 years of age
RI WAGE AND WORKPLACE LAWS GUIDEBOOK 23
Rhode Island Minimum Hourly Wage Rates
1956 to Present
Minimum Wage Per Hour Effective Date
$0.90 October 1, 1956
$1.00 October 1, 1957
$1.15 September 3, 1962
$1.25 September 3, 1963
$1.40 July 1, 1967
$1.60 July 1, 1968
$2.05 July 1, 1974
$2.30 January 1, 1976
$2.65 July 1, 1979
$2.90 July 1, 1980
$3.10 July 1, 1981
$3.35 July 1, 1982
$3.55 July 1, 1986
$3.65 July 1, 1987
$4.00 July 1, 1988
$4.25 August 1, 1989
$4.45 April 1, 1991
$4.75 September 1, 1996
$5.15 January 1, 1997
$5.65 July 1, 1999
$6.15 September 1, 2000
$6.75 January 1, 2004
$7.10 March 1, 2006
$7.40 January 1, 2007
$7.75 January 1, 2013
$8.00 January 1, 2014
$9.00 January 1, 2015
$9.60 January 1, 2016
$10.10 January 1, 2018
$10.50 January 1, 2019
$11.50 January 1, 2020
$12.25 January 1, 2022
$13.00 January 1, 2023
$14.00 January 1, 2024
$15.00 January 1, 2025
RI WAGE AND WORKPLACE LAWS GUIDEBOOK 24
$5.15 September 1, 1997
$5.85 July 24, 2007
$6.55 July 24, 2008
$7.25 July 24, 2009
As of January 1, 2025, the RI minimum wage is $15.00
Federal Minimum Wage:
Source: RI Statistical and Fiscal Digest, Labor Market Information
RI WAGE AND WORKPLACE LAWS GUIDEBOOK 25
The DLT Career Centers are conveniently located throughout the state where job seekers and employers are
matched through quality employment programs and services. For hours of operation and services available,
please visit our website: https://dlt.ri.gov/individuals/jobseeker-resources/career-centers.
HOURS*: Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.- 4 p.m.; Fridays, 10 a.m.- 4 p.m.
*Except where otherwise noted
Providence/Cranston
50 Sims Avenue, Providence, RI 02909
Lalena Marsigliano, Manager
Phone: 401-680-5101 | TTY via RI Relay: 711
West Warwick
1330 Main St., West Warwick, RI 02893
Jean Luisi, Manager
Phone: (401) 462-4100 | Fax: (401) 462-4107
TTY via RI Relay: 711
Woonsocket
219 Pond St., Woonsocket, RI 02895
Clifton Bradley, Manager
Phone: (401) 235-1201 | Fax: (401) 235-1227
TTY via RI Relay: 711
Through our Employer Engagement Team, the Department offers a multitude of services to employers to assist
with every stage of business growth. These services are customized to meet the demands of your business.
Business Service Specialists can develop job orders, coordinate recruitments/hiring events, as well as provide
access to programs that support partial wage reimbursement, employee training support, and tax credit
information supporting new hires and incumbent workers. Business Service Specialists are available at our
Career Centers above or can visit you on-site at your location.
The Employer Engagement Team proactively responds to businesses experiencing economic downturn by
quickly coordinating services and providing aid to companies and their affected workers. We partner with
Income Support, Healthsource RI, and United Way to make sure those who are impacted by a planned transition
have access to services right away. The team works with businesses to offer supports to workers before, during,
and after a planned transition. Employers may visit any of the career centers listed above, or email dlt.esu@dlt.
ri.gov to request an appointment with a member of the Employer Engagement Team.
Visit DLT Career Centers
Visit DLT Career Centers
RI WAGE AND WORKPLACE LAWS GUIDEBOOK 26
If you have questions or comments regarding Labor Standards, please feel free to contact us through the
following:
Telephone Number: (401) 462-8550
Fax Number: (401) 462-8530
Check out the Labor Standards website: https://dlt.ri.gov/regulation-and-safety/labor-standards for:
• Changes in Rhode Island’s Minimum Wage Law: Rhode Island Minimum Wage is
$14.00 per hour as of January 1, 2024
• Employee Bi-Weekly Pay Application Form is available on the website.
• Non-Payment of Wages Complaint Form is available on the website.
• Minimum Wage Posters as well as other posters, which must be posted in the workplace, are
available on the website or can be obtained through the Labor Standards Unit free of charge.
Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training website - www.dlt.ri.gov
Joseph R. Degnan
Assistant Director of Workforce Regulation and Safety
Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training
1511 Pontiac Avenue, Cranston, RI 02920
E-mail address: Joseph.Degnan@dlt.ri.gov
Labor Standards welcomes your
QUESTIONS and COMMENTS
RI WAGE AND WORKPLACE LAWS GUIDEBOOK 27
The list below provides phone numbers for the Rhode Island Department of Labor
and Training’s main units.
AREA CODE 401
DLT’s Telephone Quick List
Apprenticeship .......................................................................... 462-8536
Arrigan Rehabilitation Center (formerly Donley) .................... 243-1200
Board of Review ....................................................................... 462-9400
Employer Services .................................................................... 462-8744
Foreign Labor Certification....................................................... 462-8744
Governor’s Workforce Board RI ............................................... 462-8860
Labor Market Information ........................................................ 462-8740
Labor Relations Board .............................................................. 462-8830
Labor Standards ........................................................................ 462-8550
Providence Career Center ......................................................... 680-5101
West Warwick Career Center .................................................... 462-4100
Woonsocket Career Center........................................................ 235-1201
Occupational Safety .................................................................. 462-8570
Prevailing Wage ........................................................................ 462-8580
Professional Regulation ............................................................ 462-8580
Temporary Disability Insurance ................................................ 462-8420
Unemployment Insurance:
Call Center (Claims) ......................................................... 243-9100
Administrative Benefits .................................................... 462-8400
Workers’ Compensation ............................................................ 462-8100
Workforce Development ........................................................... 462-8000
Workforce Investment Office .................................................... 462-8780
Workforce Partnership of Greater RI ....................................... 462-8730
Workforce Solutions of Providence Cranston........................... 680-8585
Workshare Program................................................................... 462-8418
Interested in learning more about the services DLT has to offer?
Visit the Workforce Resources for Employers page on our website at: www.dlt.ri.gov/employers.
RI WAGE AND WORKPLACE LAWS GUIDEBOOK 28
Bankruptcy Court Clerk’s Office
401-626-3100
Cobra & Other Health Insurance Information
RI Dept. of Business Regulation
401-462-9500
Discrimination/Sexual Harassment
RI Commission for Human Rights
401-222-2662
Equal Employment Opportunity
RI Dept. of Administration
State Employees Opportunity Office
401-222-3090
Private Employees Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission
1-800-669-4000
Internal Revenue Service
1-800-829-1040
Licenses/Exams
RI Dept. of Health
401-222-2828
Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office
Fair Labor Business Practices Division
1-617-727-3465
RI Dept. of Commerce
401-278-9100
Occupational Health & Safety Administration
Private Sector
U.S. Department of Labor
401-528-4669
Pension Benefits Administration
U.S. Department of Labor
617-565-9600
Taxation
RI Division of Taxation
401-574-8922
Wage & Hour (Federal)
U.S. Department of Labor
401-490-2370
Other Agencies to Contact for Additional
Information
This publication is a guide for Wage and Workplace Laws in Rhode Island.
For detailed information, please contact DLT’s Labor Standards (Wage and Hour) Unit
at (401) 462-8550 or visit the website at www.dlt.ri.gov/regulation-and-safety/labor-standards.
Joseph R. Degnan
Assistant Director Workforce Regulation and Safety Division
Labor Standards (Wage and Hour) Unit
1511 Pontiac Avenue • Cranston, RI 02920
Telephone: (401) 462-8550 | Fax: (401) 462-8530
www.dlt.ri.gov/regulation-and-safety/labor-standards.