Rhode Island Employment Attorneys

At DearLegal, we connect you with experienced Rhode Island employment attorneys who handle FEPA discrimination, wage, retaliation, and wrongful-termination claims for workers across Providence, Warwick, Cranston, Pawtucket, and East Providence.

Free to use — no fee unless you win
Matched with a Rhode Island attorney in 24 hours
30,000+ plaintiffs served nationwide

Free Rhode Island employment case review

A Rhode Island attorney will take a look. Or call 1-833-WELEGAL.

How we match your Rhode Island employment case

When you submit a Rhode Island employment matter, we route it through a national network of independent partner firms and put it in front of the one that fits best — based on the kind of case it is, what it is likely to involve, where it has to be handled, and who has capacity to take it on now.

Case type

A employment matter needs someone who handles employment work day to day, not a generalist. Practice area is the first filter.

Size and complexity

Some firms are built for catastrophic injury and multi-party litigation; others resolve straightforward claims quickly. We weigh what your matter is likely to involve against how each firm actually works.

Jurisdiction and licensing

Your matter is decided under Rhode Island law, so it goes to an attorney licensed in Rhode Island who regularly appears where your case would be heard.

Capacity and fit

Availability, conflicts of interest and language all matter. If the best-fit firm cannot take your case, we route it to the next one that can — or tell you plainly when no one in the network is the right answer.

Every partner reviews your case for free. Injury and workers’ compensation matters are handled on contingency — no fee unless you win. Other matters are quoted upfront, before you commit to anything.

Get started How DearLegal works

DearLegal provides marketing and matching services and is not a law firm. Submitting a case does not create an attorney-client relationship. Matches depend on case type, jurisdiction and firm availability.

Exhibit A

What happens with an employment claim in Rhode Island

Day 0
Something happens at work.
A firing, demotion, missed pay, harassment, retaliation. Write down dates, names and what was said, and save emails and pay stubs before access disappears.
Within 24 hours
Tell us what happened.
Two minutes on this page. A Rhode Island employment attorney reviews it for free and, if it’s a fit, you’re matched within 24 hours.
Weeks 1–4
Your attorney builds the record.
Personnel file, pay records, texts, witness accounts, the handbook. Employers keep meticulous files; you need one too.
Months 1–3
Demand, or an agency charge.
Many Rhode Island employment claims start with a demand letter or a charge with the state agency or the EEOC. Your attorney picks the route that protects your deadlines.
Before the 1-year deadline
Suit is filed if it has to be.
Rhode Island gives 1 year from the date it happened. Filing keeps your leverage; missing it ends the claim.
Resolution
Settlement or judgment.
You pay nothing along the way. The fee — typically 33% — comes only out of what’s recovered. If nothing is recovered, you owe nothing.

State Anti-Discrimination Statute: RIFEPA
Rhode Island Fair Employment Practices Act (RIFEPA), R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-5-1 et seq. Protected: race, color, religion, sex (incl. pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, age (no minimum), national origin, disability, ancestry, military status, marital status, country of ancestral origin, genetic info.
Deadline to File Charge: 1 year
1 year to file with the Rhode Island Commission for Human Rights (RICHR). Work-share with EEOC.
At-Will Doctrine: At-will state
At-will state with narrow public-policy exception. Statutory protections for workers' comp retaliation, whistleblowing (RIGL § 28-50-1, Rhode Island Whistleblowers' Protection Act), jury duty, military service.
Non-Compete Enforceability: 250%
Rhode Island Noncompetition Agreement Act (RIGL § 28-59-1, effective 2020). Banned for non-exempt workers, students, workers under 18, low-income workers (under 250% of federal poverty level). Above threshold: reasonableness test plus notice requirements.
Minimum Wage & Overtime: $14.00
Rhode Island minimum wage $14.00/hour (2024), rising to $15 in 2025. Overtime under RIGL § 28-12-4.1 and FLSA. Healthy and Safe Families and Workplaces Act (RIGL § 28-57-1) paid sick leave. Temporary Caregiver Insurance (TCI).
Typical attorney fee: 33%
33%–40% contingency — no fee unless you win

The Rhode Island Fair Employment Practices Act (RIFEPA, R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-5-1 et seq.) prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, disability, ancestry, military status, marital status, country of ancestral origin, and genetic information at employers with 4+ employees. Charges are filed with the Rhode Island Commission for Human Rights (RICHR) within 1 year — longer than most states. Rhode Island is at-will with a narrow public-policy exception. Non-competes restricted under RIGL § 28-59-1 (2020 Rhode Island Noncompetition Agreement Act) — banned for non-exempt workers, students, workers under 18, and low-income workers; otherwise reasonableness test with strict requirements. RI minimum wage is $14.00/hour (2024), rising to $15 in 2025. Rhode Island has Healthy and Safe Families and Workplaces Act (paid sick leave), and Temporary Caregiver Insurance (TCI).

Exhibit B

When to call an employment attorney in Rhode Island

Does any of this sound like you? Tap what applies.

Exhibit C

Employment cases we take in Rhode Island

Which one is closest to yours?

Race and national-origin discrimination

RIFEPA and Title VII.

Sound like yours? A Rhode Island attorney reviews it free — no fee unless they win.

Start my free review

Exhibit D

How much do Rhode Island employment attorneys cost?

Sample settlement statement

Rhode Island · Employment

Recovery$100,000

Attorney fee · 33%− $33,000

Case costs (advanced by firm)repaid at the end

To you$67,000

Due today$0

Try a different recovery$100,000

$5,000$3,000,000

Illustrative only. Your fee terms are set in a written agreement with your attorney and may include costs and expenses regardless of outcome.

Most Rhode Island employment attorneys work on contingency: the fee is a share of what they recover, and nothing if they don’t.

Rhode Island employment attorneys work on contingency or hybrid arrangements — typically 33%–40% of recovery. RIFEPA, Rhode Island Payment of Wages Act (treble damages), and federal employment statutes shift attorney fees to the employer when the worker prevails.

A good attorney walks through every number at your free consultation — before you sign anything.

Get startedTakes about two minutes. No obligation.

Exhibit E

What your Rhode Island employment compensation can include

A Rhode Island employment recovery is built from several parts. Tap one to see what it covers.

Back Pay

Lost wages and benefits from termination to judgment under RIFEPA and federal law. Uncapped.

DearLegal is a legal referral service, not a law firm. We connect individuals with licensed attorneys who can evaluate their case. Nothing on this page constitutes legal advice. Results vary based on individual circumstances.

Exhibit F

Rhode Island employment questions, answered

Still unsure? Tell us what happened and a Rhode Island attorney will review it for free.

Start free review

File with the Rhode Island Commission for Human Rights (RICHR) within 1 year of the discriminatory act. RICHR has a work-share with the EEOC. After investigation or right-to-sue, you can file in court.

Race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, age (no minimum), national origin, disability, ancestry, military status, marital status, country of ancestral origin, and genetic information.

Restricted. RIGL § 28-59-1 (effective 2020) bans non-competes for non-exempt workers, students, workers under 18, and workers earning under 250% of the federal poverty level. Above the threshold, reasonableness test and notice requirements apply.

RI minimum wage is $14.00/hour for 2024, rising to $15.00/hour on January 1, 2025.

Yes. The Healthy and Safe Families and Workplaces Act (RIGL § 28-57-1) requires employers with 18+ employees to provide paid sick and safe leave (1 hour per 35 worked, up to 40 hours annually).

Temporary Caregiver Insurance (TCI, RIGL § 28-41-34) provides up to 7 weeks of paid family leave at up to 60% wage replacement. Funded through TDI payroll contributions.

Not without legal review. RIFEPA and federal claims often remain valuable.

Employment attorneys by city in Rhode Island

Same Rhode Island rules and the same attorneys — with what’s local to each city.

Other case types in Rhode Island

All Rhode Island practice areas →

Animal Incident attorneysRhode Island has a strict-liability dog-bite law — the owner pays for unprovoked bites without proof of viciousness.

Business Dispute attorneysRhode Island enforces reasonable non-competes — but state law limits enforcement against low-wage workers.

Car Accident attorneysRhode Island is a fault state with pure comparative fault — minimum auto liability of $25K/$50K leaves many crashes underinsured.

Consumer Protection attorneysRhode Island’s deceptive trade practices law allows actual damages, punitive damages, and attorney fees.

Criminal Defense attorneysRhode Island’s sentencing rules and habitual-offender enhancements make plea positioning critical from arraignment.

Defective Product attorneysRhode Island holds manufacturers strictly liable for defective products — and a 10-year outer time limit cuts off older claims.

Family Law attorneysRhode Island is an equitable-distribution state — and the no-fault ground of “irreconcilable differences” governs most modern divorces.

Immigration attorneysRhode Island cases are heard in the Boston Immigration Court (MA, serves RI) — and Providence has significant immigrant populations driving case volume.

Lemon Law attorneysThe Rhode Island Lemon Law covers new vehicles within 1 year/15,000 miles — and the manufacturer pays attorney fees if you prevail.

Medical Malpractice attorneysRhode Island med-mal claims require expert testimony — and the 3-year deadline plus discovery rule shape timing.

Personal Injury attorneysA 3-year filing deadline and pure comparative fault frame every Rhode Island PI case.

Slip and Fall attorneysRhode Island premises liability turns on notice and reasonableness — and pure comparative fault helps plaintiffs even when partially negligent.

Social Security Disability attorneysRhode Island SSA hearing office in Providence processes moderate volumes — First Circuit precedent shapes review.

Workers’ Compensation attorneysRhode Island workers’ comp runs through the state Department of Labor and Training — and the Workers’ Compensation Court decides contested claims.

Rhode Island Employment Attorneys

How we match your Rhode Island employment case

Case type

Size and complexity

Jurisdiction and licensing

Capacity and fit

What happens with an employment claim in Rhode Island

Something happens at work.

Tell us what happened.

Your attorney builds the record.

Demand, or an agency charge.

Suit is filed if it has to be.

Settlement or judgment.

When to call an employment attorney in Rhode Island

Employment cases we take in Rhode Island

Race and national-origin discrimination

Sex, pregnancy, gender identity, and LGBTQ+ discrimination

Age discrimination

Disability discrimination and accommodation

Religious discrimination and accommodation

Retaliation and whistleblower

Wage and hour (RI + FLSA)

Independent-contractor misclassification

FMLA, Parental and Family Medical Leave Act, TCI

Wrongful termination (public-policy)

Hostile work environment

Non-compete defense

How much do Rhode Island employment attorneys cost?

What your Rhode Island employment compensation can include

Back Pay

Front Pay

Compensatory Damages

Punitive Damages

Liquidated Damages

Attorney Fees and Costs

Rhode Island employment questions, answered

Employment attorneys by city in Rhode Island

Other case types in Rhode Island

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