Bill Requiring RI Businesses To Pay Weekly Introduced By 2 Lawmakers

PROVIDENCE, RI — Two Rhode Island lawmakers have sponsored a legislation which would require most businesses in Rhode Island to pay their employees weekly.

State Sen. Frank A. Ciccone (D-Providence), and state Rep. Enrique George Sanchez (D-Providence), said they will soon introduce 2024-H 7457 and 2024-S 2477 in their respective legislative chambers.

"The people of Rhode Island need this now in order to pay the high cost of living," Sanchez said. "As legislators, we should be doing everything we can to aid our hardworking constituents struggling with rising costs."

While Rhode Island law already stipulates that workers be paid weekly, it contains numerous exemptions to this requirement. If passed, the bill would remove all exemptions except for state offices, municipal governments and nonprofit organizations with less than 25 employees.

It would also exempt employees who have a fixed salary at a biweekly, semi-monthly, monthly or yearly rate. These employees would continue to be paid on their normal schedule.

"For the hardest working Rhode Islanders, sometimes a paycheck every two weeks doesn’t get the bills paid," Ciccone said. "Rent has gone up, groceries are more than they were a year ago, and it costs more to heat your home. Getting paid a week earlier helps."

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