The short answer Rhode Island's minimum wage rose to $16.00 on January 1, 2026 (and $17.00 comes January 1, 2027), with state overtime over 40 hours and paid sick and safe leave of up to 40 hours per year at employers with 18+ employees.
What Rhode Island requires
Rhode Island
Minimum wage (2026). $16.00/hour effective January 1, 2026; legislation signed in 2025 raises it to $17.00 on January 1, 2027.
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Overtime. State law requires 1.5x over 40 hours/week for covered employees.
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Paid sick leave. Healthy and Safe Families and Workplaces Act: accrue up to 40 hours/year — paid for employers with 18+ employees, unpaid (job-protected) below that.
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Pay transparency. Rhode Island's Pay Equity Act requires providing a wage range to applicants on request and before discussing compensation, and bans salary-history inquiries.
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The federal baseline (applies in every state)
Federal
FLSA coverage. Caregivers employed by home care agencies are covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act: federal minimum wage ($7.25) and overtime apply, because agencies are 'third-party employers' of domestic service workers.
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2013 Home Care Rule. Under the 2013 Home Care Rule (29 CFR 552.109), third-party employers such as home care agencies may NOT claim the FLSA companionship-services or live-in domestic worker exemptions — only the individual, family, or household using the services can claim them.
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Rescission proposal status (July 2026). On July 2, 2025 DOL proposed rescinding the 2013 Home Care Rule (comments closed Sept. 2, 2025), but as of July 2026 no final rule has issued — the 2013 rule remains legally in effect. Field Assistance Bulletin 2025-4 (July 25, 2025) directed WHD staff to pause enforcement of the rule against third-party agencies, but the FAB does not affect private lawsuits by caregivers, which can still recover back overtime plus liquidated damages.
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Sixth Circuit upholds rule (2026). In April 2026 the Sixth Circuit (DOL v. Americare Healthcare Services) upheld the 2013 Home Care Rule as a valid exercise of authority Congress expressly delegated to DOL, even post-Loper Bright. Practical takeaway for agencies: keep paying minimum wage and time-and-a-half overtime to caregivers unless and until a final rescission rule takes effect.
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Overtime & travel time. Agency caregivers must receive 1.5x their regular rate for hours over 40 per workweek, and travel time between clients during the workday is compensable hours worked (commuting to the first client and home from the last is not).
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Sleep time on 24-hour shifts. For shifts of 24 hours or more, an employer and live-in or shift caregiver may agree to exclude a bona fide sleep period of up to 8 hours if adequate sleeping facilities are provided and the worker usually gets at least 5 hours of uninterrupted sleep; interruptions for work must be paid. On shifts under 24 hours, all time on duty — including permitted sleep — is compensable.
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Primary sources for this page
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