WeVote
Log In

Bill

Bill

SB 2504

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

2026 Regular Session Introduced by John Burke and 4 co-sponsors

Rhode Island's Warehouse Worker Protection Act requires clear disclosure of productivity quotas and allows access to personal and aggregate speed data, with anti-retaliation protec

06/18/2026 Signed by Governor
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · SB 2504

Overview

  • Bill: SB 2504
  • Session: Rhode Island 2026
  • Title: AN ACT RELATING TO LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS — WAREHOUSE WORKER PROTECTION ACT
  • Introduced: February 6, 2026
  • Referred to: Senate Labor & Gaming
  • Status: As of May 22, 2026, scheduled for consideration (the action history shows committee activity and scheduling)

Purpose and intent

  • Establishes new protections for warehouse workers related to performance quotas and work speed data.
  • Requires certain disclosures by employers to employees regarding quotas, seeks to prevent retaliation for exercising rights under the act, and creates a framework for transparency around work speed measurements.

Key provisions and changes

  • New Chapter: Warehouse Worker Protection Act (Chapter 61, Title 28)

    • Codifies definitions and duties related to quotas and work speed data in warehouse distribution centers.

  • Definitions (28-61-2)

    • "Defined time period": any unit of time up to and including a worker's shift (hours, minutes, seconds, fractions).
    • "Director" and "Department": Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training leadership and staff.
    • "Employee": a nonexempt worker at a warehouse distribution center.
    • "Employee work speed data": data on an individual employee’s quota-related performance (e.g., tasks completed, items handled, speed metrics, time spent on tasks). Excludes qualitative performance notes and most routine personnel/wage data, except when those records include work speed data.
    • "Employer": any entity employing or controlling wages/hours/working conditions of 100+ employees at a single warehouse distribution center, or 1,000+ employees across Rhode Island warehouses (thresholds include direct, indirect, or through staffing agencies).
    • "Quota": a defined productivity standard tied to a speed, task count, or material handling, with potential adverse action if not met.
    • "Warehouse distribution center": defined by NAICS codes for General Warehousing and Storage, certain wholesalers, and electronic shopping/mail-order houses.

  • Disclosure of quotas (28-61-3)

    • Employers must provide new hires with a written description of each quota, including: the quantified target, the defined time period, and any adverse employment action tied to failure to meet the quota.
    • Employers must disclose changes to quotas.
    • If an employer does not monitor work speed data, they have no obligation to disclose quotas.

  • Meal and rest periods (28-61-4)

    • Quotas cannot require workers to forgo meal/rest periods, bathroom use (including reasonable travel time to facilities), or safety compliance.
    • Adverse actions may not be taken for failing to meet a quota that would prevent compliance with these protections or for quotas that have not been disclosed.

  • Employee information request (28-61-5)

    • Employees may request: the written quota descriptions, their own speed data, and aggregated speed data for comparable workers in the facility.

  • Unlawful retaliation (28-61-6)

    • There is a rebuttable presumption that retaliation is unlawful if an employer discriminates or takes adverse action due to an employee exercising rights under this 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 would be affected

  • Workers: Nonexempt employees at warehouse distribution centers who are subject to productivity quotas.
  • Employers: Entities operating or contracting warehouse distribution centers in Rhode Island, including those using staffing agencies or third-party labor providers, meeting the defined employee thresholds (100+ at a single center or 1,000+ statewide).
  • Department of Labor and Training: Responsible for enforcement and interpretation of the act.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Introduction and referral occurred in February 2026.
  • The bill has undergone committee review (Senate Labor & Gaming) with a scheduled consideration date listed as May 26, 2026.
  • The act would take effect upon passage.

Potential impact and considerations

  • Promotes transparency by requiring upfront disclosure of quotas and potential consequences.
  • Enhances employee rights by enabling access to personal and aggregate speed data and by providing a pathway to challenge unlawful retaliation.
  • Could influence how warehouses structure productivity expectations and monitor performance.
  • Employers may need to revise onboarding materials, human resources processes, and data-collection practices to ensure compliance with quota disclosures and data access provisions.
  • Ambiguities to watch for in implementation include: defining “defined time period” granularity for certain quotas, practical enforcement of the disclosure requirements, and how aggregated data for comparators is determined.

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

Sign in to ask a question.