Equal Pay
R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-6-18 — no lower rate for comparable work because of sex, race, age or other protected characteristic
No employer may pay an employee less than it pays employees of another race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, age or country of ancestral origin for comparable work.
- A seniority system, in which pregnancy or family leave does not reduce seniority.
- A merit system, or one that measures earnings by quantity or quality of production.
- A reasonable shift differential.
- Geographic cost of living, though no place within Rhode Island counts as different.
A difference is allowed only when the employer shows it rests on factors like those, and that the system is fair and not a pretext.
A particular pay gap is a question for a licensed Rhode Island attorney.
Sources for this section (1)
- R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-6-18 — Wage differentials based on protected characteristics prohibited
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Rhode Island attorney.