Rhode Island Payroll Rules

Frequency of Payments

You must pay your employees at least weekly, unless they are paid a fixed biweekly, semimonthly, monthly, or yearly rate.

You must establish a regular payday and notify employees of any change to the payday at least three (3) paydays in advance.

You must pay employees within nine (9) days after the end of the pay period. If payday falls on a holiday, you may pay your employees on the following day.

Manner of Payments

You may pay your employees by cash or check. If you have the employee’s written consent, you may pay them via direct deposit.

Payment Upon Separation

If an employee leaves your company for any reason, you must pay them by the next regularly scheduled payday.

If you discharge an employee because you’re liquidating, merging, or disposing the business or are moving the business out of state, you must pay the employee within 24 hours of the termination.

Deductions

If you have the employee’s written consent, you can make the following deductions from their paycheck:

• repayment of loans of advances, if the employee agrees to the amount deducted each pay period;
• trade union or craft dues or other obligations specified in a collective bargaining contract;
• subscriptions to a nonprofit hospital, medical, or surgical service corporation;
• contributions to or for the use of a religious, charitable, scientific, literary, or educational corporation, trust, community chest fund, or foundation;
• purchasing of US stock or bonds or corporation stock as part of an employee stock purchase plan;
• contributions to a pension plan;
• contributions to or for insurance or under an insurance plan for accident, health, or life coverage;
• credit to a share, deposit, or loan account in any credit union;
• similar contributions, subscriptions, or payments not connected with past or present indebtedness; or
• payments for participation in a voluntary van pool transportation system.

You cannot make the following deductions from an employee’s paycheck:

• cash shortages;
• breakage, damage, or loss of employer’s property;
• uniforms;
• tools; or
• other necessary items.

Uniforms & Other Required Equipment or Tools

Rhode Island does not have any laws about whether you can require an employee to purchase a uniform or equipment necessary for them to do their job.

Pre-Hire Medical, Physical, & Drug Tests

You must pay the cost of any pre-hire exam.

Notice of Wage Reduction

There are no laws dictating whether you have to notify an employee about a wage reduction.

Paystubs

Each payday, you must provide each employee with a paystub, which includes:

• hours worked during the pay period,
• all deductions made,
• the purpose or basis of each deduction, and
• the employee’s hourly regular rate of pay, if you’re engaged in the commercial construction industry.

Recordkeeping

For each employee, you must keep the following records for at least three (3) years:

• name, address, and occupation;
• rate of pay;
• amount paid each pay period; and
• hours worked each day and workweek.

Notices

Rhode Island does not require you to post payroll-related notices.