Signed by Governor Dan McKee

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to concur with House amendments and pass a bill that requires disclosure of warehouse quotas to employees upon hire in Rhode Island.

Highlights:

• Requires each warehouse employer to provide their employees a written description of each quota to which they are responsible upon hire (Sec. 3).

• Specifies that the specified quotas must include the quantified number of tasks or materials to be produced or handled within the defined time period and any potential adverse employment action that could result from failure to meet the quota (Sec. 3).

• Requires that employees be disclosed of their new or modified quotas at least two days in advance of their implementation (Sec. 3).

• Exempts employees from having to meet and being punished for not meeting quotas that prevent compliance with meal or rest periods, use of bathroom facilities, or occupational health and safety laws (Sec. 4).

• Authorizes employees to request a written description of the quota and a copy of their own speed data and aggregated speed data of all employees in the factory, but they can make no more than one request every 90 days (Sec. 5).

• Requires quota descriptions and speed data to be given to employees by employers within 21 days of the request (Sec. 5).

• Classifies a rebuttable presumption of unlawful retaliation that will last for 90 days after an employee’s assertion of their rights or termination of employment if an employer discriminates, retaliates, takes any adverse action against an employee for asserting their rights in this Act (Sec. 6). 

• Requires the department of labor and training to adopt rules to implement this Act (Sec. 7).

• Requires the director of the department of labor and training to enforce this Act and assess damages payable to the employee and civil penalties (Sec. 7).

• Authorizes current or former employees to bring an action for injunctive relief to obtain compliance with this Act (Sec. 7).

• Specifies that the provisions of this Act are severable, that is, if one provision is found invalid, the other provisions will not be affected (Sec. 8).

• Specifies that this Act is effective January 1, 2027 (Sec. 8).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to amend and pass a bill that requires disclosure of warehouse quotas to employees upon hire in Rhode Island.

Highlights:

• Requires each warehouse employer to provide their employees a written description of each quota to which they are responsible upon hire (Sec. 3).

• Specifies that the specified quotas must include the quantified number of tasks or materials to be produced or handled within the defined time period and any potential adverse employment action that could result from failure to meet the quota (Sec. 3).

• Requires that employees be disclosed of their new or modified quotas at least two days in advance of their implementation (Sec. 3).

• Exempts employees from having to meet and being punished for not meeting quotas that prevent compliance with meal or rest periods, use of bathroom facilities, or occupational health and safety laws (Sec. 4).

• Authorizes employees to request a written description of the quota and a copy of their own speed data and aggregated speed data of all employees in the factory, but they can make no more than one request every 90 days (Sec. 5).

• Requires quota descriptions and speed data to be given to employees by employers within 21 days of the request (Sec. 5).

• Classifies a rebuttable presumption of unlawful retaliation that will last for 90 days after an employee’s assertion of their rights or termination of employment if an employer discriminates, retaliates, takes any adverse action against an employee for asserting their rights in this Act (Sec. 6). 

• Requires the department of labor and training to adopt rules to implement this Act (Sec. 7).

• Requires the director of the department of labor and training to enforce this Act and assess damages payable to the employee and civil penalties (Sec. 7).

• Authorizes current or former employees to bring an action for injunctive relief to obtain compliance with this Act (Sec. 7).

• Specifies that the provisions of this Act are severable, that is, if one provision is found invalid, the other provisions will not be affected (Sec. 8).

• Specifies that this Act is effective January 1, 2027 (Sec. 8).

Full Bill Text