Effective January 1, 2026, Rhode Island employers will be subject to new wage and employment notice requirements under House Bill 5679. The new law amends the Rhode Island Payment of Wages Law and applies to all employers with employees in the state. Employers will be required to provide specific written information to employees at the time of hire and maintain records of that information for a defined period.
Required Written Notice
At the time of hire, employers must provide each employee with a written notice, in English, containing the following information:
- The employee’s rate or rates of pay and method of calculation
- Any allowances claimed as part of the minimum wage (such as meals or lodging)
- The employer’s regular payday and the date of the employee’s first paycheck
- A description of paid time off policies, including vacation, sick, personal, and holidays
- The employee’s employment status (exempt or non-exempt under minimum wage and overtime laws)
- A list of any deductions the employer may take from pay.
- The employer’s legal name, any “doing business as” names, and the physical address and telephone number of the employer’s main office or principal place of business
The written notice must be signed and dated by the employee, and employers must retain a copy for a minimum of three years.
Notably, there is no requirement to provide notice to employees hired prior to the effective date.
Enforcement and Penalties
The Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training (DLT) will be responsible for enforcement. Penalties for noncompliance include:
- Up to $400 for the first and second violations
- Up to $1,000 for each subsequent violation
- Each employee affected by a violation counts as a separate offense.
Next Steps for Employers
To ensure compliance by the effective date, employers should:
- Develop a written wage notice template that includes all required information.
- Review onboarding procedures to ensure the notice is provided on the first day of employment.
- Establish a process for collecting employee signatures and maintaining records for at least three years.
- Train human resources and payroll personnel on the new requirements; and
- Monitor for additional guidance from the Rhode Island DLT.
