The bill amends Section 28-12-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 28-12, which is related to "Minimum Wages." The amendment includes a new definition for the term "employee" and removes certain exemptions from the definition of "employee" that were previously in place. Specifically, the bill removes the exemption for individuals employed in domestic service or in or about a private home from the list of roles that are not considered employees for the purposes of minimum wage laws. This change means that such individuals would now be entitled to the protections and minimum wage requirements set by the state.
The bill also provides definitions for other terms relevant to the minimum wage law, such as "advisory board," "commissioner," "director," "employ," "employer," "occupation," and "wage." The act is set to take effect immediately upon passage, indicating that the changes to the law would be implemented without delay, thus extending minimum wage protections to domestic service workers and those working in or around private homes.
Statutes affected: 2021: 28-12-2