The proposed bill amends various sections of Rhode Island law to establish new labor regulations, primarily focusing on reducing the standard workweek from forty hours to thirty-two hours while maintaining the same pay rate for employees. Under this legislation, employees will receive their regular pay for a shorter workweek, with overtime compensation applicable for hours worked beyond thirty-two hours in a week or eight hours in a day. Employers with fewer than five hundred employees are exempt from this requirement, allowing smaller businesses to continue operating under the existing forty-hour workweek standard.

The bill introduces a new section to the "Healthy and Safe Families and Workplaces Act," which specifies that any work in excess of thirty-two hours in a week or eight hours in a day shall be compensated at a rate of no less than one and one-half times the regular rate of pay for an employee. Additionally, the bill clarifies that an employer's obligation to comply with any contract, collective bargaining agreement, or employment benefit plan remains unchanged.

Furthermore, the bill modifies existing laws related to work-sharing benefits, paid sick leave, and employment definitions. It establishes criteria for work-sharing plans that allow employers to reduce employee hours instead of resorting to layoffs, ensuring that employees' benefits remain intact during this period. The accrual rates for paid sick leave are adjusted, specifying that employees will earn one hour of leave for every thirty-two hours worked, with maximum accrual limits set at thirty-two hours per year. The legislation aims to enhance worker protections by clarifying definitions related to employment and ensuring that employees retain their accrued sick leave during transfers or rehires, while also providing flexibility for businesses in managing workforce changes.

Statutes affected:
7362: 28-3-11, 28-59-2, 21-27-11.1, 36-3.1-3, 36-4-63, 37-13-10, 37-26-4, 40-6.1-3, 42-11.3-1, 42-64.20-3, 42-64.22-2, 42-64.23-3, 42-64.26-3, 42-64.33-2, 44-48.3-3