Rhode Island Worker Rights
Rhode Island has a $15 minimum wage, paid sick leave, and state temporary disability and caregiver insurance programs.
- Rhode Island
Pay
- Minimum wage: $15.00 per hour since January 2025.
- Overtime: 1.5x over 40 hours a week; some retail work on Sundays and holidays gets premium pay.
- Final pay: by the next regular payday.
- Prevailing wage and OSHA 10: required on public construction projects above a set amount.
Breaks and leave
- Paid sick and safe leave: up to 40 hours a year, paid at employers with 18 or more employees.
- TDI and TCI: state insurance programs paying partial wages for your own disability or to care for family or bond with a new child.
Unions and right-to-work
Rhode Island is not a right-to-work state, so a union contract can require covered workers to pay at least a fee for representation. Private-sector workers have the right to organize under federal law. See Your Right to Organize.
Where to file
- Unpaid wages and overtime: Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, Workforce Regulation and Safety.
- Discrimination and harassment: Rhode Island Commission for Human Rights, or the U.S. EEOC.
- Safety: Federal OSHA covers private employers. See Federal OSHA States.
- Work injuries: report the injury to your employer right away, in writing, and follow up with Rhode Island’s workers’ compensation agency. See Workers’ Compensation.
Check current rules: this is a summary. Wage rates and labor laws change often, usually on January 1 or July 1, and cities and counties can add their own rules. Confirm details with the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training before acting. Federal protections apply too. See Where to Get Help.
Standards & references
Last updated: