Rhode Island Healthy and Safe Families and Workplaces Act
Covered Rhode Island employers will shortly be required to provide paid sick and safe leave to eligible employees. Before the July 1 effective date, learn important details including how employees accrue time, carryover options, and more.
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Terminal Updated: 06/14/2018
In September of last year, Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo signed into law the Good for you and Safe Families and Workplaces Human activity (HSFWA), which will require covered Rhode Island employers to provide paid sick and safe leave to eligible employees (including total-time, office-time, seasonal, and temporary employees) starting on July one, 2018.In the police force'southward first year, employers with 18 or more employees must allow eligible employee to accrue one hour of paid sick and safety go out (PSSL) for every 35 hours worked or paid (including paid fourth dimension off) upward to a maximum of 24 hours in 2018, a maximum of 32 hours in 2019, and a maximum of xl hours per year thereafter. Under the legislation and final regulations issued in May, covered employers with fewer than 18 employees will exist required to protect unpaid time off used by eligible employees for covered reasons nether the HSFWA in the same amounts.
The legislation explicitly states that no municipality shall establish, mandate, or otherwise require an employer to provide paid sick get out benefits in backlog of those required under the HSFWA. Too, employers are non prohibited from offering a paid sick and safe leave time policy that provides greater rights or benefits than those provided for in the HSFWA.
Employees are protected from adverse action including retaliation for exercising their rights nether the Healthy and Safe Families and Workplace Act.
Accruing time for paid ill go out
Covered Rhode Island employers must allow eligible employees to accumulate one hr of sick leave for every 35 hours worked, upward to 24 hours in 2018. Employees who are exempt from overtime requirements under the Fair Labor Standards Deed are presumed to work 40 hours per week, unless their employer dictates a shorter normal piece of work calendar week.
Employees must exist permitted to acquit over accrued only unused sick and safe go out from one year to the next year. Notwithstanding, employers may choose to cap the use of ill and condom get out at 24 hours per year in 2018, at 35 hours per twelvemonth in 2019, and at 40 hours per year thereafter. Alternatively, employers may cull to provide the maximum amount of sick and safe exit to eligible employees at the starting time of each year (frontloading) and avoid accrual and bear over requirements.
When tin can employees in Rhode Island use paid sick leave?
Employees in Rhode Island may use this sick and safe exit under a diverseness of circumstances. These include:
- The worker's physical or mental health needs, need for diagnosis (preventive) care or treatment;
- A family fellow member'south mental or concrete illness, or intendance for a family member who needs diagnosis (preventive) intendance or treatment;
- The closure of the employee's place of business or her/his kid'southward school due to a public wellness emergency; or
- Fourth dimension off when the employee or a family unit fellow member is a victim of domestic violence, sexual set on, or stalking.
Waiting period for new hires
Under the HSFWA, employers may mandate a 90-day waiting period for newly hired workers, during which they may not use accrued sick and rubber leave. Businesses can extend this waiting period to 150 days for seasonal employees and 180 days for temporary employees. The waiting period must be communicated to new hires in writing.
Food employees
The final regulations cite different notice and documentation requirements related to the use of sick exit for "food employees" as defined under the Rhode Island Food Lawmaking.
As effective date draws nigh, some questions remain
On May 11, 2018, the Rhode Isle Department of Labor and Grooming finalized HSFWA regulations and clarified some problems, including how to determine business organisation size and how to summate pay too as place provisions which must be documented in employer policies. However, the regulations neglect to provide sufficient explanation in other areas. Additional guidance is expected in the form of FAQs.
As July 1 approaches, Rhode Island employers should exist prepared to comply with the new law and final regulations, every bit well as monitor for additional resource from the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training.
* This content is for educational purposes only, is not intended to provide specific legal advice, and should non be used every bit a substitute for the legal communication of a qualified attorney or other professional. The information may not reflect the nigh electric current legal developments, may exist changed without notice and is not guaranteed to exist complete, correct, or upwards-to-date.
Source: https://www.paychex.com/articles/compliance/rhode-island-paid-sick-and-safe-leave-law
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