Rhode Island Sick and Safe Leave Time Law: Effective July 1, 2018

Are you an employer in Rhode Island? If you answered yes, you better be prepared for the Rhode Island Sick and Safe Leave Time Law, which will be in effect on July 1, 2018. While the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training has stated that it will not enforce fines contained within the statute until January 1, 2019- employees are still able to sue their employers over the new law.

Effective on July 1, all employers must provide time off. In the calendar year 2018, employees must be provided time off of 24 hours, 32 hours in 2019, and 40 hours in calendar year 2020 and thereafter. Employers with 18 or more employees must provide paid time off, and under 18 employees can be unpaid. The 18 employee threshold applies if Rhode Island is the primary state of employment, if the employee spends the more time working in Rhode Island than any other state. The 18 employee threshold applies for the following 12 months.

Employees are eligible to accrue one hour of sick leave for every 35 hours worked, up to 24 hours in 2018. Additionally, employees must be allowed to carry over unused sick and safe leave time from one year to the next, but employers may cap the hours at 24 in 2018, 35 in 2019, and 40 in 2020.

The time off may be used for the following:

· The employee’s physical or mental health needs, preventative care or treatment.

· A family member’s mental or physical illness, or care for a family member that needs preventative care or treatment.

· The closure of the employee’s place of work, or her/his child’s school due to a public heath emergency.

· Time off when the employee or family member is a victim of domestic violence, stalking, or sexual assault.