WeVote
Log In

Bill

Bill

HB 7364

AN ACT RELATING TO LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS -- WAREHOUSE WORKER PROTECTION ACT

2026 Regular Session Introduced by David Bennett and 4 co-sponsors

Requires disclosure of warehouse quotas and protects workers from retaliation when exercising rights to ensure safety and break/rest compliance.

06/18/2026 Signed by Governor
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HB 7364

Bill Summary: HB 7364 (Rhode Island, 2026) – Warehouse Worker Protection Act

Purpose and intent

  • Establishes a new framework to protect warehouse and distribution center workers from overly aggressive productivity quotas.
  • Responds to concerns about safety risks and injuries when workers are pressured to meet quantified speed or task-based quotas, potentially at odds with rest, safety, and health.

Key provisions and changes

  • New Chapter Established

    • Adds Chapter 61 to Title 28 (Labor and Labor Relations): the Warehouse Worker Protection Act.

  • Definitions (28-61-2)

    • “Defined time period”: any unit of time up to and including an employee’s shift (seconds, minutes, hours).
    • “Employee work speed data”: data an employer collects about an employee’s performance relative to quotas, including task counts, speeds, rates, material quantities, and time spent performing tasks.
    • “Employer”: any entity employing or controlling wages/hours/conditions for 100+ employees at a single warehouse/distribution center or 1,000+ statewide.
    • “Quota”: a productivity standard with a defined time period, where failure to meet could lead to adverse employment action.
    • “Warehouse distribution center”: defined by NAICS codes for general warehousing, certain wholesalers, and e-commerce/shipping operations.

  • Disclosure of quotas (28-61-3)

    • Employers must provide each newly hired employee with a written description of every quota they are subject to, including:
    • The quantified number of tasks or materials to handle, within the defined time period.
    • Any potential adverse employment action for failing to meet the quota.
    • Quotas must be disclosed if they change.
    • Employers are not required to monitor or disclose quotas or speed data if they do not monitor such data.

  • Meal and rest periods (28-61-4)

    • Quotas cannot prevent compliance with meal/rest periods, bathroom use (including reasonable travel time), or occupational health and safety requirements.
    • Adverse action may not be taken for failing to meet a quota that prevents compliance with these duties or for quotas that aren’t disclosed.

  • Employee information access (28-61-5)

    • Employees may request:
    • The written quota description.
    • The employee’s own speed data.
    • Aggregated speed data for comparably situated employees at the facility.

  • Unlawful retaliation (28-61-6)

    • Creates a rebuttable presumption of unlawful retaliation if an employer discriminates or takes adverse action in response to an employee exercising rights under the act.

  • Severability (28-61-7)

    • Provisions are severable; invalidity of one part does not invalidate the rest.

  • Effective date

    • The act takes effect upon passage.

Who/what is affected

  • Employees: Nonexempt workers employed at warehouse distribution centers in Rhode Island.
  • Employers: Entities with 100+ employees at a single warehouse/distribution center or 1,000+ employees statewide who use quotas and monitor speed data.
  • Departments/Authorities: Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training tasked with enforcing provisions (definitions reference the Department and Director).

Procedural/timeline aspects

  • Introduced January 28, 2026, and referred to House Labor.
  • Schedule and action history show consideration steps in 2026, with a proposed substitute noted.
  • Act would take effect upon passage (immediate legal effect after enactment).

Potential impact and considerations

  • Aims to mitigate unsafe, speed-imposed working conditions by requiring transparency around quotas.
  • Enables workers to understand and challenge potentially unsafe productivity pressures.
  • Provides protection against retaliation for exercising rights under the Act.
  • Could increase administrative requirements for larger warehouse operators (disclosure of quotas, access to data).
  • May spur wider discussions on minimum wage considerations and productivity monitoring in logistics settings.

If you’d like, I can provide a side-by-side comparison with existing Rhode Island labor protections or a quick risk/benefit analysis for employers and workers.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

Sign in to ask a question.