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SB 2502

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

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

Creates a private right of action to prevent, investigate, and remedy workplace bullying, with policies, training, and remedies for affected employees.

05/29/2026 Referred to House Labor
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · SB 2502

Summary of SB 2502 (Rhode Island, 2026) – Workplace Psychological Safety Act

Purpose and intent

  • Establishes a new framework to protect employees from workplace bullying and psychological abuse.
  • Applies to employers and “representative employees” to prevent bullying and to respond appropriately.
  • Provides for private rights of action, remedies, and a five-year regulatory review, with the act taking effect upon passage.

Key definitions

  • Employee: Any person who renders services to an employer and receives compensation (includes full-time, part-time, temporary, contracted, and independent contractors).
  • Employer: Any entity with at least 15 employees that hires at least one employee (or contractor) for compensation.
  • Representative employee: A leadership, management, or legal-position employee responsible for advising on, overseeing, or enforcing policies.

Prohibited conduct and bullying standard (28-61-3)

  • Workplace bullying defined as unwelcome, degrading, dehumanizing conduct that is severe or pervasive enough to create a hostile, threatening, or abusive work environment and unreasonably interferes with job performance.
  • Examples include false accusations, sabotage, ostracism, excessive workloads, micromanagement, hypercriticism, unethical pressure, retaliation for speaking up, and repeated verbal abuse.
  • Isolated or minor disagreements and constructive feedback do not by themselves constitute bullying; must meet the severe/pervasive standard.
  • Bullying can be perpetrated by one or more persons and is assessed via totality of circumstances (nature, frequency, duration).

Employer and representative-employee obligations (28-61-3(b))

  • Take all reasonable preventive and responsive measures to provide a safe environment free of bullying, including: 1) Timely acknowledgment and response to complaints. 2) Transparent, timely complaint process with fair fact-finding and timely findings. 3) Transparent disciplinary process (coaching, counseling, warnings, removal of supervisory duties, termination) aligned with offense severity. 4) Maintain accurate records of complaints, findings, and discipline. 5) Develop and distribute a written anti-bullying policy within 90 days, including anti-retaliation provisions and reporting methods; regular distribution to employees. 6) Train all employees on policies.
  • Affirmative defense for employers: prompt, good-faith steps addressing alleged bullying with a threshold of evidence.

Prohibited practices (28-61-3(c))

  • Employers or representative employees may not: 1) Require mediation/arbitration before an employee can consult counsel (voluntary mediation allowed only with informed rights and access to legal aid if unaffordable). 2) Require or use non-disclosure or non-disparagement agreements related to bullying complaints. 3) Undertake adverse employment action against a complainant for opposing unlawful practices or exercising rights under the act (e.g., retaliation, demotion, termination, harassment, etc.).

Damages and remedies (28-61-4)

  • Complainants may seek remedies to make them whole, including:
    • Compensatory damages (economic: back/front pay, medical expenses; non-economic: pain, distress).
    • Punitive damages in extreme/egregious cases.
    • Injunctive relief (court can stop the unlawful practice and order remedies such as reinstatement or removal of the bully from the environment).
    • Restorative measures (address reputational harm, incorrect disciplinary records, or public case notices with name withheld if desired).
  • Specific limit: penalties for violations of certain policy requirements (28-61-3(b)(5) and/or (b)(6)) are capped at $100 per offense.
  • For all other violations, the complainant receives the greater of (a) the damages described above or (b) $5,000 per violation, up to a maximum of $15,000.
  • The at-fault party must pay the plaintiff’s reasonable attorney’s fees and costs; prevailing employers cannot recover fees.

Employee rights and filing window (28-61-5)

  • A cause of action must be filed within three years after the last violation of 28-61-3.
  • Pseudonyms may be used if there is a credible risk of retaliation, subject to court approval.

Regulatory review (28-61-6)

  • A regulatory review of the chapter is required five years after the act’s effective date, conducted by the Department of Labor and Training.

Effective date

  • The act takes effect upon passage.

Practical impact and scope

  • Expands employer accountability to prevent and address workplace bullying, with a formal process for complaints, investigations, and disciplinary action.
  • Creates a private right of action for employees who experience workplace bullying, with potential damages, injunctive relief, and attorney’s fees.
  • Limited to employers with at least 15 employees, but otherwise broad in defining bullying and procedural safeguards.
  • Imposes mandatory policies, training, and reporting mechanisms within 90 days of enactment.

This bill aims to codify workplace psychological safety, deter bullying, and provide remedies for affected employees, while detailing procedural protections for employers and representative employees.

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

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