Last updated: 2026-09-21.
Statewide MandateHow Rhode Island's real statutory thresholds apply to specific employer profiles. Each section re-frames the state law above for one audience — the underlying figures never change, only the lens does.
For employers with fewer than 15 employees: Rhode Island requires paid sick leave for 18+ employees. No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://dlt.ri.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Size note: Your obligation turns on the threshold "18+ employees". The Compliance Checker applies your headcount automatically. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For employers with 50 or more employees: Rhode Island requires paid sick leave for 18+ employees. No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://dlt.ri.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Size note: Your obligation turns on the threshold "18+ employees". The Compliance Checker applies your headcount automatically. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For restaurant, café, and food-service operators: Rhode Island requires paid sick leave for 18+ employees. No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://dlt.ri.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including restaurants & food service, use the same statewide thresholds: 18+ employees, accrual 1 hour per 35 hours worked, cap 40 hours/year. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For retail stores, shops, and chains: Rhode Island requires paid sick leave for 18+ employees. No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://dlt.ri.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including retail employers, use the same statewide thresholds: 18+ employees, accrual 1 hour per 35 hours worked, cap 40 hours/year. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For clinics, hospitals, and healthcare staffing: Rhode Island requires paid sick leave for 18+ employees. No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://dlt.ri.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including healthcare employers, use the same statewide thresholds: 18+ employees, accrual 1 hour per 35 hours worked, cap 40 hours/year. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For hr teams onboarding new employees: Rhode Island requires paid sick leave for 18+ employees. No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://dlt.ri.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Size note: Your obligation turns on the threshold "18+ employees". The Compliance Checker applies your headcount automatically. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For restaurant and food-service operators with fewer than 15 employees: Rhode Island requires paid sick leave for 18+ employees. No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://dlt.ri.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including small restaurants (under 15 employees), use the same statewide thresholds: 18+ employees, accrual 1 hour per 35 hours worked, cap 40 hours/year. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For restaurant groups and chains with 50 or more employees: Rhode Island requires paid sick leave for 18+ employees. No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://dlt.ri.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including large restaurants & chains (50+ employees), use the same statewide thresholds: 18+ employees, accrual 1 hour per 35 hours worked, cap 40 hours/year. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For retail stores and shops with fewer than 15 employees: Rhode Island requires paid sick leave for 18+ employees. No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://dlt.ri.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including small retail (under 15 employees), use the same statewide thresholds: 18+ employees, accrual 1 hour per 35 hours worked, cap 40 hours/year. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For retail chains with 50 or more employees: Rhode Island requires paid sick leave for 18+ employees. No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://dlt.ri.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including large retail & chains (50+ employees), use the same statewide thresholds: 18+ employees, accrual 1 hour per 35 hours worked, cap 40 hours/year. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For clinics and healthcare practices with fewer than 15 employees: Rhode Island requires paid sick leave for 18+ employees. No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://dlt.ri.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including small healthcare (under 15 employees), use the same statewide thresholds: 18+ employees, accrual 1 hour per 35 hours worked, cap 40 hours/year. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
For hospitals and healthcare systems with 50 or more employees: Rhode Island requires paid sick leave for 18+ employees. No local ordinances are tracked beyond the state law. Source: https://dlt.ri.gov/; retrieved 2026-09-21.
Industry note: The law is industry-neutral — all covered employers, including large healthcare systems (50+ employees), use the same statewide thresholds: 18+ employees, accrual 1 hour per 35 hours worked, cap 40 hours/year. Use the Compliance Checker to apply your headcount to the correct rule.
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Statewide mandate | Yes |
| Employer threshold | 18+ employees |
| Accrual rate | 1 hour per 35 hours worked |
| Max accrual / year | 40 hours/year |
| Paid or unpaid | paid |
| Carryover | Yes |
| Qualified reasons | Own/family illness, preventive care. |
| Effective date | Jul 1, 2018 |
| Official source | https://dlt.ri.gov/ ↗ |
Rhode Island's Healthy and Safe Families & Workplaces Act guarantees paid sick and safe leave for employers of 18+, while federal law sets no paid sick-leave floor and the FMLA is unpaid and limited to 50+ employee employers. Rhode Island also runs Temporary Caregiver Insurance (TCI) and Temporary Disability Insurance (TDI) wage-replacement programs that sit alongside the earned-leave hour bank.
Rhode Island's 18+ paid threshold is the highest minimum-employer size among the Northeast mandates — narrower than Massachusetts (11+), Maryland (15+), Connecticut (phasing to 1+), and New Jersey (all). Its 1 hour per 35 hours accrual is also slightly slower than the regional norm of 1 per 30. For 2026, TCI rises to 8 weeks (from 7) and TDI pays up to $1,103/week.
| Year | Change |
|---|---|
| 2017 (eff. Jul 1, 2018) | Healthy and Safe Families & Workplaces Act (RIGL Ch. 28-57) took effect, requiring paid sick and safe leave. |
| 2026 | Temporary Caregiver Insurance expands to 8 weeks (up from 7); TDI duration stays 30 weeks with a maximum of $1,103/week. |
| Ongoing | DLT administers earned-leave complaints; employers should monitor annual TCI/TDI benefit adjustments. |
Employers in Rhode Island most often trip on the items below. Amounts are typical statutory ranges — confirm the current figure with the state labor department before acting.
| Violation | Typical penalty / fine | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Denying accrued paid sick/safe leave | No statutory cap on liability; the DLT can order back pay, reinstatement, and civil penalties, and employees may recover unpaid leave. | RIGL § 28-14-17 supports the enforcement framework. |
| Retaliation for using leave | Retaliation is expressly barred; employees may recover reinstatement, back pay, and damages through the DLT. | Anti-retaliation is a stand-alone violation. |
| Misapplying the 18-employee threshold | Applies the uncapped back-pay and penalty framework for the under-covered period. | Headcount threshold should be reviewed each year as workforce changes. |
Use the button below to print or save a one-page compliance summary for Rhode Island. It includes the state law table and any local ordinances above.
Yes. Rhode Island requires paid sick leave for 18+ employees. Accrual is 1 hour per 35 hours worked, capped at 40 hours/year, with carryover Yes.
Employees accrue 1 hour per 35 hours worked. The max accrual is 40 hours/year.
No local ordinances are tracked for Rhode Island beyond the state law.
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