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Rhode Island sets its own deadline, its own penalty, and its own rule on unused vacation. Here is what the statute says, what it is worth to you, and where to file if the money never arrives.
Unpaid wages become due on the next regular payday after the separation (R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-14-4).
Resignation follows the same rule: payment on the next regular payday.
Rhode Island requires vacation pay accrued or awarded after at least one year of service to be paid at separation (§ 28-14-4(b)).
Commissions earned before separation are wages and follow the next-payday rule.
Rhode Island does not use a fixed multiple. Instead § 28-14-19 provides interest at 12% a year on the unpaid wages from the date of non-payment, reasonable attorney's fees and costs, and a civil penalty.
This state does not impose a separate statutory penalty for late final pay. Treat that number as leverage in the letter, not as a promise: a court or agency decides what is actually owed, and the penalty provisions usually require the employer to have acted wilfully or without good cause.
File with the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training, which handles wage claims administratively, usually at no cost. The alternative is small claims court, where the limit for an individual in Rhode Island is $5,000. Both routes go better with a dated written demand and a certified-mail receipt, because the first question either forum asks is when the employer knew.
Unpaid wages become due on the next regular payday after the separation (R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-14-4).
Resignation follows the same rule: payment on the next regular payday.
Rhode Island requires vacation pay accrued or awarded after at least one year of service to be paid at separation (§ 28-14-4(b)).
Two routes: file a wage claim with the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training (https://dlt.ri.gov/), or sue in small claims court where an individual's claim limit is $5,000. A dated written demand sent first is what makes either route easier, because it fixes the date the employer was on notice.
Only official sources are used: the state labor agency, the statute itself, and where relevant the U.S. Department of Labor. Third-party summary sites are deliberately excluded because they disagree with each other on penalty formulas.
Reviewed 2026-11-03 · reviewed again every 90 days.
being fired · resigning · a layoff · unused PTO · unpaid commissions
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