On June 24, 2025, Governor Daniel McKee signed Rhode Island House Bill No. 6161 into law making Rhode Island the only state in the country to mandate that employers provide workplace accommodations for applicants and employees experiencing menopause and menopause-related medical conditions.

 

Under the Rhode Island Fair Employment Practices Act (“RIFEP”), Rhode Island employers with at least four (4) employees were already required to provide reasonable accommodation to an applicant’s or employee’s condition related to pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition, including lactation or the need to express breast milk. House Bill No. 6161 adds menopause. The Bill also redefines “related conditions” to include “the need to manage the effects of vasomotor symptoms” (e.g., hot flashes and night sweats, and possibly other sensations such as dizziness, rapid heartbeat, and skin flushing).

 

With these amendments, Rhode Island employers may need to engage in the interactive process with applicants and employees to identify reasonable accommodations for those symptoms of menopause that impact an individual’s ability to perform their essential job functions. Notably, even if the applicant or employee is not disabled by menopause or a related medical condition, Rhode Island employers are still required to provide reasonable accommodation under the RIFEP unless doing so poses an undue hardship.

 

Finally, the new law requires that employers provide new notice and posting requirements (found here). Employers must: (1) post the new written notice in a conspicuous place that is accessible to employees; (2) provide the written notice to new employees upon hire, and to existing employees by October 22, 2025 (120 days after the law’s effective date); and (3) provide a copy of the written notice within 10 days to any employee who notifies the employer that they are experiencing menopause or related conditions.

 

For more information or assistance regarding the recent RIFEP changes, reviewing existing equal employment, non-discrimination, and accommodation policies, or training management on these new protections, please contact a Bennett Law Firm attorney.