2016 -- H 7634

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LC004617

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2016

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS -- HOURS AND SCHEDULING

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Williams, Regunberg, Slater, and Maldonado

     Date Introduced: February 12, 2016

     Referred To: House Labor

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. The title of this act shall be "Fair Workweek for Rhode Island".

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     SECTION 2. Title 28 of the General Laws entitled "LABOR AND LABOR

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RELATIONS" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following chapter:

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CHAPTER 12.2

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FAIR WORKWEEK OF RHODE ISLAND

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     28-12.2-1. Definitions. -- For the purpose of this chapter, the following definitions shall

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apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning or another definition is

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provided:

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     (1) "Agency" means the department of labor and training. While the department of labor

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and training shall be the primary enforcer of this chapter, this does not exclude the attorney

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general or the human rights commission from taking additional action.

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     (2)(i) "Employee" means an individual charged with performing work for an employer,

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this may include low level floor supervisors/managers.

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     (ii) For purposes of §§28-12.2-2, 28-12.2-3, 28-12.2-5, 28-12.2-7 and 28-12.2-8,

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"employee" shall not include individuals employed in a bona fide executive, administrative or

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professional capacity and forepersons, superintendents and supervisors.

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     (3) "Employer" means a person who owns, operates or is authorized to operate an

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establishment that has employees;

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     (4) "On-call shift" or "on-call hours" means time that an employer requires an employee

 

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to be available to work, and to contact the employer or its designee or wait to be contacted by the

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employer or its designee to determine whether the employee must report to work at that time.

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     (5) "Predictability pay" means payments to an employee, calculated on an hourly basis at

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the employee's regular rate of pay, as compensation for changes made by an employer to an

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employee's schedule pursuant to §28-12.2-3, in addition to any wages earned for work performed

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by that employee.

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     (6) "Regular rate" means the rate at which an employee is employed and shall be deemed

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to include all remuneration for employment paid to, or on behalf of, the employee, but shall not

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be deemed to include:

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     (i) Sums paid as gifts; payments in the nature of gifts made at Christmas time or on other

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special occasions, as a reward for service, the amounts of which are not measured by or

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dependent on hours worked, production, or efficiency;

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     (ii) Payments made for occasional periods when no work is performed due to vacation,

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holiday, illness, failure of the employer to provide sufficient work, or other similar cause;

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reasonable payments for traveling expenses, or other expenses, incurred by an employee in the

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furtherance of their employer's interests and properly reimbursable by the employer; and other

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similar payments to an employee which are not made as compensation for their hours of

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employment;

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     (iii) Sums paid in recognition of services performed during a given period if either:

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     (A) Both the fact that payment is to be made and the amount of the payment are

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determined at the sole discretion of the employer at or near the end of the period and not pursuant

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to any prior contract, agreement, or promise causing the employee to expect such payments

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regularly; or

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     (B) The payments are made pursuant to a bona fide profit-sharing plan or trust or bona

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fide thrift or savings plan, meeting the requirements of the administrator set forth in appropriate

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regulations which they shall issue, having due regard among other relevant factors, to the extent

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to which the amounts paid to the employee are determined without regard to hours of work,

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production, or efficiency; or

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     (C) The payments are talent fees (as such talent fees are defined and delimited by

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regulations of the administrator) paid to performers, including announcers, on radio and television

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programs;

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     (iv) Contributions irrevocably made by an employer to a trustee or third person pursuant

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to a bona fide plan for providing old-age, retirement, life, accident, or health insurance or similar

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benefits for employees;

 

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     (v) Extra compensation provided by a premium rate paid for certain hours worked by the

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employee in any day of the workweek because such hours are hours worked in excess of eight (8)

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in a day or in excess of the maximum workweek applicable to such employee under subsection

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(a) or in excess of the employee's normal working hours or regular working hours, as the case

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may be;

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     (vi) Extra compensation provided by a premium rate paid for work by the employee on

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Saturdays, Sundays, holidays, or regular days of rest, or on the sixth or seventh day of the

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workweek, where such premium rate is not less than one and one-half (1.5) times the rate

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established in good faith for like work performed in non-overtime hours on other days;

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     (vii) Extra compensation provided by a premium rate paid to the employee, in pursuance

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of an applicable employment contract or collective-bargaining agreement, for work outside of the

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hours established in good faith by the contract or agreement as the basic, normal, or regular

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workday (not exceeding eight (8) hours) or workweek, where such premium rate is not less than

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one and one-half (1.5) times the rate established in good faith by the contract or agreement for

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like work performed during such workday or workweek; or

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     (viii) Any value or income derived from employer-provided grants or rights provided

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pursuant to a stock option, stock appreciation right, or bona fide employee stock purchase

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program which is not otherwise excludable under any of subsections (i) through (vii) of this

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section if:

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     (A) Grants are made pursuant to a program, the terms and conditions of which are

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communicated to participating employees either at the beginning of the employee's participation

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in the program or at the time of the grant;

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     (B) In the case of stock options and stock appreciation rights, the grant or right cannot be

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exercisable for a period of at least six (6) months after the time of grant (except that grants or

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rights may become exercisable because of an employee's death, disability, retirement, or a change

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in corporate ownership, or other circumstances permitted by regulation), and the exercise price is

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at least eighty-five percent (85%) of the fair market value of the stock at the time of grant;

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     (C) Exercise of any grant or right is voluntary; and

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     (D) Any determinations regarding the award of, and the amount of, employer-provided

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grants or rights that are based on performance are:

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     (I) Made based upon meeting previously established performance criteria (which may

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include hours of work, efficiency, or productivity) of any business unit consisting of at least ten

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(10) employees or of a facility, except that, any determinations may be based on length of service

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or minimum schedule of hours or days of work; or

 

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     (II) Made based upon the past performance (which may include any criteria) of one or

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more employees in a given period so long as the determination is in the sole discretion of the

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employer and not pursuant to any prior contract.

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     (7) "Retaliation" means: (i) Any form of intimidation, threat, reprisal, harassment,

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discrimination or adverse employment action, including discipline, discharge, suspension,

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transfer or assignment to a lesser position in terms of job classification, job security, or other

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condition of employment, reduction in pay or hours or denial of additional hours, informing

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another employer that the person has engaged in activities protected by this chapter, or reporting

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or threatening to report the actual or suspected citizenship or immigration status of an employee,

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former employee or family member of an employee to a federal, state or local agency, because

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the employee or former employee exercised a right under this chapter;

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     (ii) Interference with or punishment for participating in any manner in an investigation,

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proceeding or hearing under this chapter.

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     (8) "Retention pay" means minimum payments to an employee in each consecutive

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fourteen (14) day period required to retain them as an employee.

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     (9) "Shift" means the consecutive hours an employer requires an employee to work or to

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be on call to work, provided that breaks totaling two (2) hours or less shall not be considered an

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interruption of consecutive hours.

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     (10) "Work schedule" means all of an employee's regular and on-call shifts, including

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specific start and end times as well as location for each shift, during a consecutive seven (7) day

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period.

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     28-12.2-2. Advance notice of work schedules. -- (a) Upon hiring, an employer shall

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provide each employee with a good faith estimate in writing of the number of hours and the days

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and times the employee is expected to work each week.

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     (b) On or before the commencement of employment, the employer shall provide the

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employee with a written work schedule for the employee's first fourteen (14) days. Thereafter, an

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employer shall give each employee their individual work schedule in writing at least fourteen (14)

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days prior to the first day of that work schedule. Employers shall not determine schedules based

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on performance metrics.

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     (c) An employee may decline to work any hours not included in the written work

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schedule required by subsection (b) of this section. When an employee consents to work such

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hours, consent must be recorded in writing at or before the start of the shift for which consent is

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required. The employer must contact the employee to notify them of any other change to the

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employee's work schedule prior to the change taking effect and must provide the employee with a

 

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revised written work schedule reflecting any changes within twenty-four (24) hours of making the

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change.

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     (d) The employer shall post fourteen (14) days in advance of the start of each week a

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written schedule that includes the shifts of all current employees at that worksite, whether or not

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they are scheduled to work or be on call that week. The employer must update that posted

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schedule within twenty-four (24) hours of any change. The schedule must be posted in a place

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that is readily accessible and visible to all employees of the employer at that worksite.

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     28-12.2-3. Compensation for changed shifts. -- (a) Less than fourteen (14) days before

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the first scheduled hour of a shift, an employer may add hours of work pursuant to §28-12.2-2(c),

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subtract hours from a shift, cancel a shift, or change the date or start or end time of a shift,

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provided that the employer pays each affected employee one hour of predictability pay, in

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addition to wages earned, for each shift that is changed, cancelled or added.

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     (b) An employer is required to pay an employee for a minimum of four (4) hours or the

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number of hours in the employee's scheduled shift, whichever is less, at the employee's regular

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rate of pay, on any day that the employee:

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     (1) Is scheduled or called to work and reports for duty; or

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     (2) Is notified less than twenty-four (24) hours before a regular or on-call shift that the

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employee does not need to report to work or that the hours in the shift have been reduced.

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Payment under this section shall be required instead of, rather than in addition to, predictability

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pay owed under subsection (a) of this section.

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     (c) The written consent required by §28-12.2-2(c) and the predictability pay required by

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subsection (a) shall not apply to any shift changes made at the request of the employee, including

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employee-initiated requests to work specific hours other than those scheduled by the employer or

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requests to use sick leave, vacation time, personal days, or other leave policies offered by the

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employer, or when a schedule change is the result of a mutually agreed upon shift trade among

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employees.

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     28-12.2-4. Right to request flexible working arrangement. -- An employee has the

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right to request a modified work schedule, additional shifts or hours, changes in days of work or

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start and/or end times for the work day or a work shift, a predictable, stable work schedule,

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permission to exchange work shifts with other employees, limitations on availability, part-time

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employment, job sharing arrangements, working from home, telecommuting, the location where

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the employee is required to work, reduction or change in work duties, or part-year employment.

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An employer shall not retaliate against an employee for exercising their rights under this section.

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     28-12.2-5. Right to rest. -- (a) An employee has the right to decline work hours that

 

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occur:

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     (1) Less than eleven (11) hours after the end of the previous day's shift; or

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     (2) During the eleven (11) hours following the end of a shift that spanned two (2) days.

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     (b) An employee has the right to decline to work more than six (6) consecutive days.

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     (c) An employee who agrees in writing to work hours described in subsections (a) and (b)

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of this section shall be compensated at one and a half (1.5) times the employee's regular rate of

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pay for any hours worked:

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     (1) Within less than eleven (11) hours following the end of a previous shift; or

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     (2) In excess of six (6) consecutive days.

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     (d) Workers shall have a reasonable expectation to use the bathroom without penalty,

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financial or in terms of promotion. In order to ensure this, all workers shall have at least fifteen

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(15) minutes of paid unaccounted time to meet their bodily needs, per eight (8) hour shift. If a

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doctor determines that a worker needs more than fifteen (15) minutes unaccounted time per eight

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(8) hour shift, that worker shall be accommodated without any hesitation.

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     28-12.2-6. Equal treatment for employees regardless of hours worked. -- (a) An

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employer shall provide the same:

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     (1) Hourly wage;

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     (2) Eligibility to accrue employer-provided paid and unpaid time off and other benefits,

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provided that this section shall not affect the minimum hourly requirements for receipt of

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benefits, including, but not limited to, health care benefits;

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     (3) Promotional opportunities and other conditions of employment, to employees who

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hold jobs that require substantially equal skill, effort, responsibility, and duties and that are

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performed under similar working conditions, regardless of the number of hours that an employee

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is scheduled to work or expected duration of employment.

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     (b) This section shall not be construed to prohibit differences in hourly wages based on

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reasons other than the number of hours the employee is scheduled to work or expected duration of

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employment, including on the basis of seniority, a merit system, or a system which measures

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earnings by quantity per hour or quality of production.

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     28-12.2-7. Retention pay. -- (a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section,

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employers must pay all employees minimum retention pay of one hundred fifty dollars ($150) in

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each fourteen (14) day period. Any amounts paid for hours worked or paid time off, including

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paid benefit time, shall be counted toward the retention pay.

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     (b) An employee who, with the employer's consent, does not work or takes unpaid leave

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during a particular week shall waive the requirement of subsection (a) of this section, provided

 

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that the employee designates in writing the specific week or weeks for which retention pay is

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waived.

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     (c) On January 1, 2017, and each year thereafter, the retention pay required by this

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section shall be adjusted based on the increase, if any, in the cost of living, and rounded to the

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nearest multiple of five cents ($.05). The increase in the cost of living shall be calculated based

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on the percentage increase, if any, as of August of the immediately preceding year over the level

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as of August of the previous year of the Consumer Price Index (All Urban Wage Earners and

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Clerical Workers, U.S. State Average for All Items) or its successor index as published by the

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United States Department of Labor or its successor agency. The state shall publish the adjusted

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retention pay for the forthcoming year on its Internet home page by October 15 of each year, and

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it shall become effective on January 1 of the forthcoming year.

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     28-12.2-8. Offer of work to existing employees. -- (a) An employer must offer

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additional hours of work to existing employees before hiring additional employees or

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subcontractors including hiring through the use of temporary services or staffing agencies.

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     (b) Except as provided in subsection (d) of this section, the employer must post a notice

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of available work, including the total hours of work being offered, the schedule of available

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shifts, whether those shifts will occur at the same time each week, and the length of time the

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employer anticipates requiring coverage of the additional hours.

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     (1) Before an employer may hire additional employee(s), either directly or through a

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temporary services or staffing agency, with a duration of employment longer than seven (7)

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consecutive days, the employer must post a notice of available hours for at least seven (7) days

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before the employer may proceed with that hiring.

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     (2) Before an employer may hire additional employee(s), either directly or through a

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temporary services or staffing agency, with a duration of employment less than seven (7)

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consecutive days, the employer must post a notice of available hours for at least two (2) days

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before the employer may proceed with that hiring.

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     (3) The employer shall post a notice in the workplace identifying the process by which

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employees may notify the employer of their desire to work the offered hours and the criteria the

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employer will use for distribution of hours, provided that the employer's system for distribution of

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hours must not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, national origin,

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sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, age, marital or familial status, nor on the basis

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of family caregiving responsibilities or status as a student. The employer shall update the notice if

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the employer changes the criteria for distribution.

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     (4) The notices required by this section shall be either posted in a conspicuous place at

 

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the workplace that is readily accessible and visible to all employees, or transmitted by electronic

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means, so long as all employees are given access to the electronic notice at the workplace, or

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both.

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     (c) The employer shall assign additional hours of work to an employee who has

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responded to the offer of work, and who, in the employer's good faith and reasonable judgment,

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has the skills and experience to perform the work. If more than one such employee has responded

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to the offer of work, the employer shall distribute the work among interested employees

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according to the employer's posted process. An employee's response to the offer of work shall

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serve as written consent to the addition of those hours, if such consent is required by this chapter.

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     (d) Notwithstanding the requirements of subsection (b) of this section, offers to extend a

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scheduled shift or offers of hours made less than two (2) days before the start of the offered shift

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may be communicated at the employer's discretion.

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     (e) Employers shall make reasonable efforts to offer employees training opportunities to

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gain the skills and experience to perform work for which the employer typically has additional

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needs.

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     (f) This section shall not be construed to require any employer to offer employees work

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hours paid at a premium rate under state law, nor to prohibit any employer from offering such

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work hours.

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     (g) When hiring additional employees or subcontractors, including hiring through the use

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of temporary services or staffing agencies, the employer shall document the time and method of

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offering the additional hours of work to existing staff. Failure to preserve documentation pursuant

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to this subsection for three (3) years after the date of hiring employees or subcontractors shall

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give rise to a rebuttable presumption of a violation of this section.

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     28-12.2-9. Exercise of rights protected; Retaliation prohibited. -- (a) It shall be

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unlawful for an employer or any other person to interfere with, restrain, or deny the exercise of,

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or the attempt to exercise, any right protected under this chapter.

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     (b) An employer shall not retaliate or discriminate against an employee because the

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employee has exercised rights protected under this chapter. Such rights include, but are not

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limited to:

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     (1) The right to decline hours of work pursuant to this chapter;

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     (2) The right to request a flexible working arrangement pursuant to this chapter;

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     (3) The right to file a complaint or inform any person about any employer's alleged

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violation of this chapter;

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     (4) The right to cooperate with the agency in its investigations of alleged violations of

 

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this chapter; and

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     (5) The right to inform any person of their potential rights under this section.

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     (c) Protections of this section shall apply to any person who mistakenly, but in good faith,

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alleges violations of this section.

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     (d) There shall be a rebuttable presumption of unlawful retaliation under this section,

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whenever an employer takes adverse action against a person within ninety (90) days of when that

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person:

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     (1) Files a complaint with the agency or a court alleging a violation of any provision of

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this chapter;

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     (2) Informs any person about an employer's alleged violation of this chapter;

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     (3) Cooperates with the agency or other persons in the investigation or prosecution of any

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alleged violation of this chapter;

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     (4) Opposes any policy, practice, or act that is unlawful under this chapter; or

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     (5) Informs any person of their rights under this chapter.

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     28-12.2-10. Notice, posting and records. -- (a) Employers shall give notice to

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employees of their rights under this chapter. Under this section, employers are required to inform

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employees that employees are entitled to predictability pay and retention pay and to decline shifts

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as specified in this chapter; that retaliation against employees who exercise their rights under this

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chapter is prohibited; and that each employee has the right to file a complaint or bring a civil

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action to enforce the rights guaranteed by this chapter. Employers may comply with this section

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by supplying each of their employees with a notice that contains the information required in this

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subsection in English and in any language that is the language that the employer uses to

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communicate with that employee.

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     (b) Every employer shall post in a conspicuous place at any workplace or job site where

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any employee works a notice published by the agency informing employees of the current

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retention pay and of their rights under this chapter. Every employer shall post such notices in

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English and Spanish in a conspicuous and accessible place in each establishment where such

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employees are employed.

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     (c) Any pay required by this chapter must be recorded in an attachment to the employee's

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regular paycheck. Every employer shall designate in the written receipt required by state law the

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amount of predictability pay, if any. The agency may require additional means of notification or

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inclusion of additional information to employees if necessary to effectuate this section.

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     (d) An employer who willfully violates the notice and posting requirements of this

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section shall be subject to a civil fine in an amount not to exceed one hundred dollars ($100) for

 

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each separate offense.

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     (e) Employers shall maintain records showing the hours worked daily by all employees,

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the wages and predictability pay paid to all employees, and the initial work schedule and all

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subsequent revisions to the work schedule of all employees. Employers shall retain payroll

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records pertaining to employees for a period of three (3) years, and such records shall be available

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upon request by the agency. An employee shall be permitted to inspect records pertaining to their

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employment at a reasonable time and place. Failure to maintain records required under this

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chapter shall give rise to a rebuttable presumption that the employer has violated this chapter, and

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the employee's reasonable estimate regarding the initial work schedule and subsequent revisions

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to the schedule, hours worked, and wages and predictability pay paid, may be relied upon.

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     (f) An employer who fails to keep true and accurate records, furnish a record in a timely

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fashion, or who falsifies records required under this section, shall have violated this section and

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be punished by civil penalties as provided in §28-12.2-12.

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     28-12.2-11. Enforcement. -- (a) Rulemaking. The state shall have the authority to

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coordinate implementation and enforcement of this chapter and may promulgate appropriate

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guidelines or rules for such purposes. Any guidelines or rules promulgated by the state shall have

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the force and effect of law and may be relied on by employers, employees, and other parties to

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determine their rights and responsibilities under this chapter. Any such guidelines or rules may

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establish procedures for ensuring fair, efficient and cost-effective implementation of this chapter,

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including supplementary procedures for helping to inform employees of their rights under this

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chapter and for monitoring employer compliance with this chapter.

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     (b) Civil enforcement. The agency or any person aggrieved by a violation of this chapter,

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or any entity a member of which is aggrieved by a violation of this chapter may bring a civil

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action in a court of competent jurisdiction against an employer violating this chapter. Such action

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may be brought by a person aggrieved by a violation of this chapter without first filing an

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administrative complaint.

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     (1) Upon prevailing in an action brought pursuant to this section, aggrieved persons shall

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be entitled to such legal or equitable relief as may be appropriate to remedy the violation,

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including, without limitation, reinstatement in employment, back pay and injunctive relief. Upon

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prevailing in an action brought pursuant to this section, aggrieved persons shall recover the full

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amount of any pay authorized by this chapter that was not paid plus any actual damages suffered

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as the result of the employer's violation of this section plus an equal amount of liquidated

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damages of twice the pay owed under this chapter. Any employee receiving less than the wage or

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predictability pay to which the employee is entitled under this chapter upon prevailing in an

 

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action under this section, shall recover the balance of the wages or predictability pay owed,

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including interest thereon, and an additional amount equal to twice the wages or predictability

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pay owed, and any other appropriate legal or equitable relief. In an action brought by the agency

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any unpaid wages and actual damages recovered shall be payable to the individual employee to

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whom the violation occurred.

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     (2) Any employee who has suffered discrimination in any manner or had adverse action

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taken against that employee in retaliation for exercising rights protected under this chapter may

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bring a civil action in a court of competent jurisdiction and, upon prevailing, shall recover actual

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damages plus reinstatement in the case of discharge. In any case where an employee has been

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discharged in retaliation for exercising rights under this chapter, the period of violation extends

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from the day of discharge until the day the employee is reinstated, the day the employee agrees to

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waive reinstatement or, in the case of an employee who may not be rehired, from the day of

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discharge until the day legal judgment is final.

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     (3) Aggrieved persons prevailing in an action to enforce this chapter shall be entitled to

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recover their costs and expenses of suit and reasonable attorney's fees.

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     (4) The statute of limitations for a civil action brought pursuant to this section shall be for

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a period of four (4) years from the date the aggrieved person knew or should have known of the

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alleged violation, except that civil actions brought to recover overtime pay owed under this

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section must be brought within one year from the date the alleged violation occurred.

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     (5) Actions brought pursuant to this section may be brought as a class action pursuant to

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the laws of the state of Rhode Island.

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     (c) Administrative enforcement. The agency is authorized to take appropriate steps to

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enforce this section.

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     (1) Any person alleging a violation of this chapter shall have the right to file a complaint

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with the agency within one year of the date the person knew or should have known of the alleged

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violation. The agency shall maintain confidential the identity of any complainant unless

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disclosure of such complainant's identity is necessary for resolution of the investigation or

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otherwise required by law. The agency shall, to the extent practicable, notify such complainant

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that the agency will be disclosing their identity prior to such disclosure.

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     (2) Any employee or former employee may contact the agency and report an allegation of

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non-compliance with this chapter by an employer. Upon receipt of a claim from an employee, the

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agency shall send a demand letter to the employer notifying the employer that the agency is in

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receipt of a complaint of non-compliance with this chapter. The agency shall demand written

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confirmation of compliance or corrective action within ten (10) days from the date of the letter.

 

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The letter shall inform the employer that failure to comply may result in criminal charges, a civil

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action seeking damages, attorneys' fees and other legal remedies where applicable. The letter

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shall also inform the employer that retaliation against an employee for claiming rights under this

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chapter is a basis for a private right of action seeking additional monetary damages to be

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determined a court.

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     (3) If the employer disputes the claim, the employer shall forthwith provide written

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documentation showing compliance with this chapter. Failure of the employer to provide timely

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proof of compliance is itself a basis for further action. If the agency believes that a violation has

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occurred, it shall issue to the offending person a notice of violation.

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     (4) The agency shall have the power to impose penalties payable to the general fund for

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violations of this chapter and to grant an employee or former employee all appropriate relief and

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shall make all reasonable efforts to secure relief for employees whose rights are found to be

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violated. Any entity or person found to be in violation of this chapter shall be liable for a civil

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penalty not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500) for each act in violation.

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     (5) When an employer fails or refuses to comply with the agency's order, the agency may

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file with the district court a petition requesting the court to order the employer to comply with the

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order, thereupon the court shall issue an order to show cause directed to the employer why an

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order directing compliance should not be issued. Notwithstanding the provisions of any law or

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rule of civil procedure to the contrary, the court shall examine at the hearing on the order to show

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cause all the evidence in the record and may amend the order in any way the court deems just and

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equitable. If the state ordered an award of damages and if the court sustains any or all of the

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award, it shall enter judgment on that order in the same manner as in any civil suit.

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     (6) The state shall annually report on its website the number and nature of the complaints

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received pursuant to this chapter, the results of investigations undertaken pursuant to this chapter,

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including the number of complaints not substantiated and the number of notices of violations

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issued, the number and nature of adjudications pursuant to this chapter, and the average time for a

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complaint to be resolved pursuant to this chapter.

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     28-12.2-12. Relationship to other requirements. -- (a) This chapter provides for

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minimum standards for work hours and shall not be construed to preempt or otherwise limit or

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affect the applicability of any other law, regulation, requirement, policy, or standard that provides

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for more generous compensation, rights, benefits, or protections. Nothing contained in this

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chapter prohibits an employer from establishing more generous policies than those established

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under this chapter.

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     (b) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as creating or imposing any requirement in

 

LC004617 - Page 12 of 14

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conflict with any federal or state law, rule or regulation, nor shall anything in this chapter be

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construed to diminish or impair the rights of an employee or employer under any valid collective

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bargaining agreement.

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     (c) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as diminishing the obligation of an

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employer to comply with any contract, collective bargaining agreement, employment benefit plan

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or other agreement providing more generous sick time to an employee than required herein.

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     (d) This chapter shall not apply to any employee covered by a bona fide collective

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bargaining agreement when the terms of the collective bargaining agreement include terms that

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govern work scheduling practices.

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     28-12.2-13. Severability. -- If any provision of this chapter or application thereof to any

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person or circumstance is judged invalid, the invalidity shall not affect other provisions or

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applications of the chapter which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application,

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and to this end the provisions of this chapter are declared severable.

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     SECTION 3. This act shall take effect ninety (90) days following enactment provided

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that in the case of employees covered by a collective bargaining agreement in effect on the

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effective date prescribed herein, this act shall apply on the date of the termination of such

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agreement.

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LC004617

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LC004617 - Page 13 of 14

EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS -- HOURS AND SCHEDULING

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     This act would require employers to give their employees at least two (2) weeks' notice of

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their work schedules. It would also require employers to pay their employees additional pay if

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they change their previously scheduled shift. Finally, it would grant increased scheduling notice,

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with corresponding remedies, to employees for violations of their rights.

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     This act would take effect ninety (90) days following enactment provided that in the case

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of employees covered by a collective bargaining agreement in effect on the effective date

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prescribed herein, this act would apply on the date of the termination of such agreement.

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LC004617

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LC004617 - Page 14 of 14