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HB 8505

AN ACT RELATING TO LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS -- WORKPLACE PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY ACT

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Cherie Cruz and 4 co-sponsors

Rhode Island’s Workplace Psychological Safety Act creates a private right of action for bullying, requires anti-bullying policies and training, and authorizes damages and injunctiv

05/21/2026 Committee recommended measure be held for further study
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Bill Summary · HB 8505

Bill Summary: HB 8505 (Rhode Island, 2026) – Workplace Psychological Safety Act

Overview

  • Purpose: Establish legal standards to protect employees from workplace bullying (psychological abuse) by holding employers and representative employees accountable. The act creates duties to prevent bullying, provides a private right of action for violations, and allows for damages and injunctive relief.
  • Realm: Labor and labor relations (Chapter 61 added to Title 28).
  • Effective date: Upon passage.
  • Introduced by: Rep. Lombardi, Hull, Sanchez, Cruz, Potter; with co-sponsors Rep. Cruz, Potter, Hull, Sanchez, Lombardi.

Key Provisions

1) Definitions and applicability

  • Employee: All individuals rendering services for compensation, including full-time, part-time, temporary, contracted, and independent contractors.
  • Employer: Any entity employing at least one employee; however, the act applies to employers with a minimum of 15 employees.
  • Representative employee: A leadership/management/legal role responsible for advising on, overseeing, or enforcing policies.

2) Prohibited conduct: workplace bullying

  • Bullying defined: Unwelcome, degrading, dehumanizing conduct that is severe or pervasive enough to create a reasonable fear or hostile work environment and to unreasonably interfere with job duties. Examples include false accusations, sabotage, ostracism, disproportionate workloads, excessive monitoring, micromanagement, persistent criticism, unethical pressure, retaliation for speaking up, or repeated verbal abuse.
  • Notable nuance: Isolated, minor disagreements or constructive feedback do not constitute bullying unless meeting the severe/pervasive standard.
  • Assessment standard: Determined by reviewing the totality of circumstances (nature, frequency, duration).

3) Employer and representative-employee duties (prevention and response)

  • Timely acknowledgment and response to bullying complaints.
  • Transparent, timely complaint process with fair fact-finding investigations and prompt reporting.
  • Transparent disciplinary process based on offense severity (coaching, counseling, warnings, removal of supervisory duties, or termination).
  • Maintenance of accurate records of complaints, findings, and discipline.
  • Written anti-bullying policy, including anti-retaliation measures and reporting methods, distributed to employees within 90 days and regularly updated.
  • Training for all employees on policies and reporting procedures.
  • An affirmative defense for prompt, good-faith actions addressing alleged bullying, with a threshold of evidence.

4) Prohibited actions related to bullying complaints

  • Prohibits mandating mediation/arbitration before an employee has the chance to retain counsel; voluntary mediation is allowed only if both parties understand rights and have access to legal aid if needed.
  • Prohibits non-disclosure and non-disparagement agreements related to bullying complaints.
  • Prohibits adverse employment actions against employees who oppose unlawful practices or exercise rights under the act (e.g., retaliation, demotion, termination, reassignment, reduced pay).

5) Remedies and damages

  • Damages for proven violations:
    • Compensatory damages (economic: back/front pay, medical expenses; non-economic: pain, suffering).
    • Punitive damages in extreme/egregious cases.
    • Injunctive relief (e.g., reinstatement, removal of bullying employee, or modification of duties).
    • Restorative measures (reputational repair, public correction of records, optional redacted case notification).
  • Caps and penalties:
    • $100 per offense for violations of certain subsections (28-61-3(b)(5) and/or 28-61-3(b)(6)).
    • In all other instances, at least the greater of the damages available under subsection (b) or $5,000 per violation, up to a maximum of $15,000.
    • The at-fault party pays the plaintiff’s reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs; prevailing employer cannot recover fees.

6) Employee rights and timelines

  • ** statute of limitations:** 3 years from the last violation of 28-61-3 to file a cause of action.
  • Anonymous filing: Pseudonyms permitted if a credible risk of retaliation or harm is demonstrated, subject to court approval.

7) Oversight and review

  • A regulatory review of the act is required five years after it takes effect, conducted by the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training.

Who Is Affected

  • Employers with 15 or more employees (and all employees covered under their payroll structures, including contractors and temporary workers).
  • Representative employees in leadership or management roles who oversee policy enforcement.
  • Employees who experience or witness workplace bullying and wish to pursue remedies.

Practical Implications

  • Creates a formal framework for preventing workplace bullying and handling complaints.
  • Establishes a private right of action with potential damages and injunctive relief.
  • Encourages written anti-bullying policies, training, timely investigations, and recordkeeping.
  • Deters retaliation and prohibits forced mediation/arbitration and non-disclosure agreements tied to bullying claims.

If you’d like, I can extract specific section-by-section language or compare this bill to Rhode Island’s current workplace conduct laws.

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

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