The State of Rhode Island recently approved changes to multiple employment laws, including the Rhode Island Fair Employment Practices Act and the Rhode Island Payment of Wages Act. Two key developments are detailed below.
On June 24, 2025, Rhode Island enacted House Bill 6161, amending the Rhode Island Fair Employment Practices Act to include workplace protections for individuals experiencing menopause. As amended, the Fair Employment Practices Act now requires employers to provide accommodations for employees experiencing menopause and related conditions, including vasomotor symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats. Now, employers must work to identify reasonable accommodations for individuals whose menopause symptoms impact their ability to perform the essential functions of their jobs. It remains that employers must accommodate covered employees unless they can prove that the requested accommodations would pose an undue hardship on their business operations.
The amendment also includes new notice and posting obligations for employers. Employers must now display postings in the workplace that outline employees’ rights to be free from discrimination related to menopause and to request reasonable accommodations. Additionally, written notices of these rights must be provided to new hires at the start of employment and to current employees by October 22, 2025. Any employee who reports experiencing...
On July 9, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) announced it sent more than 20 subpoenas to physicians and clinics involved in providing gender-affirming care to minors, and that the subpo...