New England Biz Law Update
Rhode Island has made history as the first state in the nation to require employers to provide workplace accommodations for employees experiencing menopause and related medical conditions.
Governor Daniel McKee signed the legislation into law in late June.
The new law amends the Rhode Island Fair Employment Practices Act, which already required accommodations for pregnancy, childbirth, and related conditions, to explicitly include menopause. Beginning immediately, employers must engage in a timely, good-faith process to consider requests for reasonable accommodations when menopause symptoms interfere with an employee’s ability to perform essential job functions.
A groundbreaking step
“Menopause is a difficult and personal subject that has been stigmatized in this country. But as something that affects half our population, it is time we recognize that it is a workforce issue,” said Sen. Lori Urso, the bill’s lead sponsor, in a press release.
Rep. Karen Alzate, who introduced the companion bill in the House, added that “women should not have to risk being penalized or discriminated against at their job due to a naturally occurring phenomenon that they have no control over.”
Advocates point out that menopause symptoms – such as hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, anxiety, migraines, and brain fog – can last several years and, for some women, become debilitating. A Mayo Clinic study estimated that menopause-related symptoms cost U.S. employers $1.8 billion annually in lost productivity.
What the law requires
The law does not spell out specific examples of what accommodations might look like. Instead, it leaves that to the interactive process between employers and employees.
Still, experts suggest that accommodations could take the form of:
- Flexible scheduling or remote work options for employees dealing with fatigue or insomnia.
- Access to fans, cooling devices, or temperature control adjustments to ease hot flashes.
- Additional or longer break periods.
- Uniform modifications or relaxed dress codes to help with temperature regulation.
These are illustrative possibilities – not legal requirements – but they provide a sense of how employers might respond to requests in practice.
The statute also creates new notice requirements. Employers must post workplace notices advising employees of their rights under the law, provide written notice to new hires at the start of employment, and notify existing employees by October 22, 2025. Any employee who reports experiencing menopause-related conditions must also receive written notice of their rights within 10 days.
