In Case You Missed It: Rhode Island Bans Mandatory Employer-Sponsored Communications Regarding Religious and Political Matters

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Patricia Tsipras

July 21, 2025

Rhode Island joins a number of states in prohibiting captive audience meetings in the workplace.  Captive audience laws generally are designed to prohibit employers from requiring employees to attend meetings where the employer discusses its views on religious, political, or union-related matters.

What Is Banned in Rhode Island?
Effective July 2, 2025, Rhode Island amended its Labor Relations Act (Act) to prohibit employers from discharging, disciplining, or otherwise penalizing; threatening to discharge, discipline, or otherwise penalize; or taking any adverse employment action against an employee because of the employee’s refusal to:

• attend an employer-sponsored meeting with the employer, the primary purpose of which is to communicate the employer’s opinion concerning religious or political matters; or
• listen to speech or view communications, including electronic communications, from the employer, the primary purpose of which is to communicate the employer’s opinion concerning religious or political matters.

What Are “Religious or Political Matters”?

The Act defines “political matters” as topics that are unrelated to the employer’s business or business activities, such as subjects relating to elections for political office, political parties, proposals to change legislation or regulations which are not directly related to the employer’s business, and a decision whether to join or support any political party or political, civic, community, fraternal, or labor organization.

“Religious matters” are defined as matters relating to religious affiliation and practice and the decision whether to join or support any religious organization or association.

Do Exceptions to the Ban Exist?
Yes.  The amendments to the Act do not prohibit:

• an employer from communicating to its employees any information that the employer is required by law to communicate, but only to the extent of such legal requirement.
• an employer from communicating to its employees any information that is necessary for such employees to perform their job duties.
• an institution of higher education from meeting with or participating in any communications with its employees that are part of coursework, any symposia, or an academic program at such institution.
• casual conversations between employees or between an employee and an employer, provided that participation in such conversations is not required.

In addition, the amendments to the Act do not apply to a religious corporation, entity, association, educational institution, or society that is exempt from the requirements of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with respect to speech on religious matters to employees who perform work connected with the activities undertaken by such religious corporation, entity, association, educational institution, or society.

What Penalties Exist for Violations?
In a civil action to enforce the captive audience meeting ban, a court may award a prevailing employee all appropriate relief, including

• injunctive relief
• reinstatement to the employee’s former position or an equivalent position
• back pay and reestablishment of any employee benefits, including seniority, to which the employee would otherwise have been eligible if the violation had not occurred
• damages
• reasonable attorney’s fees and costs

Takeaways
Rhode Island Employers: Review your employment policies and practices, and consider updating them to state that certain meetings are voluntary and that non-attendance carries no penalties.  Train your human resources professionals and managers on this law to ensure compliance.

The author of this article, Patricia Tsipras, is a member of the Bar of Pennsylvania. This article is designed to provide one perspective regarding recent legal developments, and is not intended to serve as legal advice in Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, or any other jurisdiction, nor does it establish an attorney-client relationship with any reader of the article where one does not exist. Always consult an attorney with specific legal issues.