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A recent change to the Rhode Island discrimination law means that an employer can be sued three years later, if an employee feels he or she has been the victim of discrimination. The new law goes into effect immediately.

Under the previous law, there was a one-year statute of limitations on employment discrimination.

The Rhode Island legislature passed the amendment over Governor Donald Carcieri ‘s veto.

The Rhode Island Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination based on color, race, religion, disability, sex, age or national origin. It outlaws employment discrimination and retaliation.

This extension overturns a Rhode Island Supreme Court ruling in Horn v. Southern Union, which established a (more…)

As a citizen you are afforded basic rights and liberties and these should be protected in the workplace as well. You should be free to seek employment or to work in an environment absent of harassment or discrimination based on personal traits or characteristics. Everyone should have equal rights and opportunities in the workplace. There are federal laws in place which protect such rights and many states have their own laws as well. Many states establish an agency or department specifically to deal with harassment and discrimination. Rhode Island (RI) Job Discrimination Law in the Workplace is protected by such an agency.

In Rhode Island, The Commission for Human Rights or RICHR is the primary agency responsible for enforcing anti-discrimination laws in the state. The agency has the power to enforce the law in employment, housing, public accommodations and credit. When it comes to employment, race, color, country of ancestral origin, sex (including pregnancy and sexual harassment), age, physical disability, mental disability, religion, sexual orientation and gender identity or expression are the areas protected by the law. In addition to state anti discrimination statutes the Commission maintains agreements with the federal government and can investigate specific cases under both jurisdictions. Through an agreement with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission they can enforce the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, the Age discrimination in Employment Act and Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Rhode Island (RI) Job Discrimination Law in the Workplace is known as the Fair Employment Practices Act. The law covers such issues as harassment, hiring, promotion, salary, terms and conditions, and termination. The law also prohibits retaliation against people who bring charges, assist in investigations or oppose unlawful employment practices. Companies of four or more employees are covered by this act; the act covers both private and public sector employees.

I would like to take a few minutes and discuss the Rhode Island state discrimination posters with you. These posters are required by law to be displayed in places of employment. It’s also a requirement that the Rhode Island state discrimination posters be placed in an area where employees are known to gather. The posters should be visible and free of any obstructions.

The Rhode Island state discrimination posters let employees know what type of treatment is considered illegal. Rhode Island basically follows the United States anti-discrimination laws but they have added to the federal laws with their own state laws. No worker can be discriminated against because of his/her race, religion, age, sexual orientation, sex, ancestral origin, gender identity or expression, color, or physical or mental disabilities. Workers are also protected from any type of retaliation for speaking out against or filing a complaint dealing with acts of discrimination.

It is the employee’s responsibility to know where the Rhode Island state discrimination posters are located. It’s also the employee’s responsibility to know what information is on the poster and to protect him/herself from illegal discrimination.

If a person feels he/she has been discriminated against, that person should file a complaint with the Rhode Island Commission for Human Rights. The complaint must be filed within one year. It will take a significant amount of time for the Commission to investigate the complaint. There is no fee for filing a discrimination complaint.

Employers must make sure that they are familiar with both the federal and state laws regarding the Rhode Island state discrimination posters. The law dictates the exact information that must be included on the poster and the types of places where the posters must be displayed. Failure to comply with the law will result in the employers being fined and/or penalized.

Civil rights of Rhode Island citizens have been protected by the Rhode Island Commission for Human Rights since 1949, when the state’s General Assembly created the agency. One of the primary responsibilities of the commission is enforcement of the Fair Employment Practices Act, under which it is illegal to discriminate against anyone 40 or over based on race, gender, religion, age, and so on.

Now, if you work for a company with four or more employees the Rhode Island applies to you, but you must filed with the commission within one year of the alleged incident. What you will find is that many of the cases are also filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the federal agency responsible for enforcement nationwide laws. Rhode Island’s commission has the authority to award damages to victims, including back pay and compensation for pain and suffering in some cases. Therefore, if your case has been on file with the commission for at least 120 days and less than two years, you may seek the right to sue in a court of law.

If probable cause is found in your case and you wish to terminate the case with the commission instead to pursue it in court, just remember that you must notify them in writing within 20 days of the probable cause finding. In Rhode Island, you may want to be sure you distinguish the Human Rights Commission and its work, from the Office of Health and Human Services, which oversees such areas as Children, Youth and Family Services, Elderly Affairs, Health, as well as Human Services (food stamps, public assistance, long term care, etc.).

The Department for Elderly Affairs has submitted resolutions to the White House Conference on Aging’s policy committee, to help ensure that national standards for long-term care and social services are at the level they need to be. However, “Resolution Two” of those submitted deal directly with increased access to employment opportunities for the older worker. In other words, this resolution was aimed at making sure that employers hire and retrain older workers and provide adequate benefit packages to these workers.