FMLA: Rhode Island

Federal law and guidance on this subject should be reviewed together with this section.

Author: Stephen Melnick, Littler

Summary

• Rhode Island employers are subject to a variety of family and medical leave laws. See Family and Medical Leave.
• The Rhode Island Parental and Family Medical Leave Act (RIPFMLA) is substantially similar to the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), but employers should be aware of substantive differences that exist between the state and federal law. See Rhode Island Parental and Family Medical Leave Act.
• An employee may be eligible for temporary disability insurance benefits while on leave under the RIPFMLA or FMLA. See Temporary Disability Insurance Program.
• Paid family leave, also known as temporary caregiver insurance (TCI) in Rhode Island, provides partial wage replacement benefits to eligible employees to care for a seriously ill family member or to bond with a newborn child, a newly adopted child or a newly placed foster child. See Paid Family Leave.
• Pregnant employees may be entitled to leave as an accommodation under the state Fair Employment Practices Act. See Pregnancy Leave and Accommodation.
• Employees in Rhode Island may be eligible to take unpaid family military leave if the employee's child or spouse is on active military duty. See Family Military Leave.
• Other types of leave may be available to Rhode Island employees - some required by federal, state or local law, and some provided by company policy, as well as several sources of income replacement. See Interaction of Leave Laws.