Rhode Island Unemployment Benefits Law Amended: Employment Law Manual Updated
Authors: Michael Jacobson, Marta Moakley and Tracy Morley, XpertHR Legal Editors
Rhode Island amended its unemployment benefits law with the enactment of two bills that became effective immediately in June. Clarifications or modifications to the law include provisions that:
- Self-employed individuals are not employees and are not eligible for benefits;
- An unpaid suspension for misconduct is treated in the same manner as a termination for misconduct;
- A claimant must be able and available to work full-time;
- An employer now has 10 days (an increase from seven days) to respond to a benefits claim notice; and
- An employer may recover benefits paid if benefits were erroneously paid due to fraud by the claimant.
In light of these developments, the following Rhode Island sections of the Employment Law Manual have been updated: