Several new employment laws were enacted in Rhode Island during the 2024–2025 legislative session. These changes affect everything from minimum wage and family leave to protections related to political meetings, menopause, and hairstyles. Below is a summary of the most important updates Rhode Island employees should know. We encourage Rhode Island workers to give us a call or send us an email about questions they may have about the new laws or if they believe their newly created rights have been violated.
New “Mini Handbook” Requirement
Effective January 1, 2026 and at the start of employment, employers must provide its employees a written notice containing employment information relative to wages, rates of pay, allowances, benefits, deductions from pay, and identifying information relative to the employer. The notice must be signed by the employee. Employers who fail to comply with this law face a $400 penalty.
Protection for Refusing to Attend Employer-Sponsored Religious or Political Meeting
Effective July 2, 2025, it is unlawful for an employer to take any adverse employment action against an employee because of the employee’s refusal to attend an employer-sponsored meeting, or listen to employer-sponsored communications (including viewing electronic communications), the primary purpose of which is to communicate the employer’s opinion concerning religious or political matters. This includes refusing to attend a “captive audience” meetings – mandatory employer-sponsored meetings concerning whether employees should join or support a labor organization of union. Remedies allowable to employees for violations of the law include injunctive relief, reinstatement, back pay, lost benefits, and mandatory attorneys’ fees.
Rhode Island Minimum Wage Increase
The Rhode Island Minimum Wage increases to $16/hr starting January 1, 2026 and jumps to $17/hr starting January 1, 2027.
Temporary Caregiver Insurance Expansion
Effective January 1, 2026, The Rhode Island Temporary Caregiver Insurance law (“TCI”) will allow for paid benefits and job-protected time off to care for a sibling, which is defined as a person with a common parent, including biological siblings, halfsiblings, step-siblings, foster siblings, and adopted siblings.
Temporary Caregiver Insurance Transplant Expansion
Effective January 1, 2026, an employee may take TCI job-protected leave because the employee is a bone marrow transplant donor or organ donor for time off for related medical reasons, such as procedures, medical tests, or surgeries. The leave cannot exceed five (5) business days for recovery from a bone marrow transplant or more than thirty (30) business days recovery from being an organ donor transplant.
Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair “CROWN” Act
The Rhode Island Fair Employment Practices Act and the Rhode Island Civil Rights Act have been amended such that Race as a protected class includes traits historically associated with the race, including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles. Protective hairstyles means and includes, but is not limited to, hair texture or hairstyles, if that hair texture or that hairstyle is commonly associated with a particular race or national origin, including a hairstyle in which hair is tightly coiled or tightly curled, locks, cornrows, twists, braids, Bantu knots, and Afros.
Expanded Employment Protections for Menopause and Related Conditions
The Rhode Island Fair Employment Practices Act has been amended to require employers to provide reasonable accommodations for employees experiencing menopause or menopause-related conditions (such as hot flashes or night sweats), similar to existing protections for pregnancy. Employers must:
- Engage in a good-faith interactive process to accommodate symptoms unless doing so creates an undue hardship;
- Not deny employment, promotions, or force leave because of a menopause-related accommodation need;
- Post and distribute written notice of these rights to employees.
The law also makes it unlawful for any person, not just employers, to aid, abet, or obstruct another’s efforts to comply with the accommodation obligations related to menopause.
The dedicated legal advocates at Sinapi Law Associates, Ltd., are committed to seeking and securing justice on behalf of workers throughout Rhode Island and Massachusetts. As recognized leaders in employment law, we’re ready to help you explore your options for obtaining the legal remedies you’re owed. Please contact our office today at (401) 739-9690 to get started with a highly experienced and caring employment law attorney.
