Rhode Island Paid Sick Leave Under Healthy and Safe Families Act

§ 28-57-5. Accrual of paid sick and safe leave time. (a) All employees employed by an employer of eighteen (18) or more employees in Rhode Island shall accrue a minimum of one hour of paid sick and safe leave time for every thirty five (35) hours worked up to a maximum of twenty-four (24) hours during calendar year 2018, thirty-two (32) hours during calendar year 2019, and up to a maximum of forty (40) hours per year thereafter, unless the employer chooses to provide a higher annual limit in both accrual and use. In determining the number of employees who are employed by an employer for compensation, all employees defined in § 28-57-3(7) shall be counted. (b) Employees who are exempt from the overtime requirements under 29 U.S.C. § 213(a)(1) of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, 29 U.S.C. § 201 et seq., will be assumed to work forty (40) hours in each workweek for purposes of paid sick and safe leave time accrual unless their normal workweek is less than forty (40) hours, in which case paid sick and safe leave time accrues based upon that normal workweek. (c) Paid sick and safe leave time as provided in this chapter shall begin to accrue at the commencement of employment or pursuant to the law’s effective date [July 1, 2018], whichever is later. An employer may provide all paid sick and safe leave time that an employee is expected to accrue in a year at the beginning of the year.