Rhode Island Bars Workplace Discrimination Based on Menopause Symptoms

Quick Hits

• Rhode Island recently enacted a law to prohibit employment discrimination based on a worker’s menopause symptoms.
• The state added menopause to the list of conditions, such as pregnancy and childbirth, that employers must reasonably accommodate.
• The law took effect on June 24, 2025.

Rhode Island’s law makes it illegal for employers to:

• refuse to reasonably accommodate an employee’s or job applicant’s condition related to menopause;
• require an employee to take leave if another reasonable accommodation can be provided for an employee’s condition related to menopause; or
• deny employment opportunities to an employee or applicant, if this denial is based on refusing to reasonably accommodate an individual’s condition related to menopause.

Notice Requirements

Employers are required to:

1. revise and distribute an updated written notice to include the word “menopause” within the required Pregnancy and Childbirth notices;
2. post the notice in the workplace in an area accessible to all employees;
3. provide notice to all new hires from the date of enactment (June 24, 2025);
4. provide notice to all existing employees within 120 days from enactment (October 22, 2025, as the deadline); and
5. provide notice within ten days of an employee notifying the employer of pregnancy,  menopause, or related medical conditions.

The median age for menopause is fifty-one years. Menopause and perimenopause symptoms may include hot flashes, insomnia, mood changes, weight gain, and urinary problems, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

For a worker experiencing menopause symptoms, reasonable accommodations may include telework, a modified work schedule, taking more frequent or longer breaks, time off for medical appointments, temporary transfer to a less strenuous position, job restructuring, light duty, or closer access to a bathroom. An employer is not obligated to provide an accommodation that would impose an undue hardship, meaning a significant difficulty or expense for the employer.

Employers must provide written notice, including a notice conspicuously posted at the workplace in an area accessible to employees, about the right to be free from discrimination in relation to menopause.

Next Steps

The new law is already in effect. Employers in Rhode Island may wish to review their written policies and practices to ensure that they provide reasonable accommodations when they are aware that a worker is experiencing menopause symptoms. The specific accommodation can take into account the job duties, the nature of the individual’s symptoms, and the employer’s legitimate business needs.

Ogletree Deakins will continue to monitor developments and will provide updates on the Leaves of Absence and Rhode Island blogs as new information becomes available.

The Ogletree Deakins Client Portal provides timely updates on the law related to Protected Activities (for federal, state, and key localities), including the recent change in Rhode Island. Premium-level subscribers have access to the full law summary. Snapshots and Updates are complimentary for all registered client users. For more information on the Client Portal or a Client Portal subscription, please reach out to clientportal@ogletree.com.

Francesco A. DeLuca is a shareholder in Ogletree Deakins’ Boston office and also licensed and practices in Rhode Island.

Stesha A. Emmanuel is a shareholder in Ogletree Deakins’ Boston office and also licensed and practices in Rhode Island.

This article was co-authored by Leah J. Shepherd, who is a writer in Ogletree Deakins’ Washington, D.C., office.

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