Payroll and HR Services in Rhode Island

CoAd for Rhode Island businesses. Built for the way you work.

Rhode Island sets its employment rules at the state level, and they move every year: a $16.00 minimum wage that rises to $17.00 in 2027, paid sick and safe leave, TDI and Temporary Caregiver Insurance, and the new RISavers retirement mandate. CoAd runs your payroll, keeps you compliant, and gives you a managed HR team that already knows the rules.

State minimum wage updates every January 1, with the $17.00 rate already scheduled

Sick and safe leave accrual, paid or unpaid based on your headcount

TDI and Temporary Caregiver Insurance withholding on the 2026 wage base

RISavers registration and Pay Equity Act onboarding steps handled for you

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CoAd has the technology, the compliance expertise and the local support to move your business forward, whether you have 5 employees in Warwick or 500 across the Providence metro.

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CoAd services for Rhode Island businesses

Payroll and managed HR, built for Rhode Island.

Pick the service you need today. Both run on CoAdQuantum, so you can start with payroll and add a managed HR team later without switching systems.

Payroll

Payroll that already knows Rhode Island.

Run payroll in minutes with CoAdQuantum. The state minimum wage, sick and safe leave accrual, TDI withholding and overtime rules are built in, and your federal and state taxes are calculated, filed and paid on time.

Automatic state minimum wage updates every January 1 (the $17.00 rate is already scheduled for 2027)
Sick and safe leave accrual at 1 hour per 35 worked, paid or unpaid based on your headcount
TDI and Temporary Caregiver Insurance withholding on the 2026 wage base
Federal and state tax filing with year-end W-2s and 1099s

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Payroll rules by city

How Providence, Cranston and Warwick compare with state payroll rules.

Rhode Island bars cities from setting their own minimum wage and has no county governments and no local payroll taxes. Here is what changes, and what does not, in the three largest cities.

Local rule differs from the state default Defaults to Rhode Island state

Payroll rule differences versus Rhode Island state defaults in the largest Rhode Island cities
City	Minimum wage	Paid sick leave	Local taxes, registration and county rules
ProvidenceProvidence County (no county government)	Defaults to Rhode Island state. Cities cannot set a minimum wage (R.I. Gen. Laws 28-12-25); the First Source ordinance applies only to employers receiving $25,000 or more in city aid.	Defaults to Rhode Island state.	No local income or payroll tax; file the annual tangible personal property return with the Tax Assessor (first $50,000 exempt statewide) and hold a city license only for regulated activities such as food service or liquor. No county-level employment rules in Rhode Island.
CranstonProvidence County (no county government)	Defaults to Rhode Island state.	Defaults to Rhode Island state.	No local income or payroll tax; annual tangible property return with the Cranston Tax Assessor and a city license only for regulated activities. No county-level employment rules in Rhode Island.
WarwickKent County (no county government)	Defaults to Rhode Island state.	Defaults to Rhode Island state.	No local income or payroll tax; tangible property return with the Warwick Assessor and a city license only for regulated activities such as food service, liquor or entertainment. No county-level employment rules in Rhode Island.

State defaults, as of September 29, 2026: minimum wage $16.00/hr (January 1, 2026), rising to $17.00 on January 1, 2027, tipped cash wage $3.89; sick and safe leave of 1 hour per 35 worked up to 40 hours a year, paid at employers with 18+ Rhode Island employees and unpaid below that; TDI and Temporary Caregiver Insurance funded by a 1.1% employee deduction on the first $100,000 of wages, with 8 weeks of caregiver leave; RISavers auto-IRA for employers with 5+ employees (deadlines October 15, 2026 for 100+, 2027 for 50 to 99, 2028 for 5 to 49). Sample content for staging review, confirm with counsel before publishing. Sources: RI DLT minimum wage, RI DLT sick and safe leave, RI DLT TDI and TCI, R.I. Gen. Laws 28-12-25.

Managed HR Services rules by city

Hiring, scheduling and benefits rules in Rhode Island's largest cities.

Rhode Island cities license businesses and tax property, but employment rules come from the state. This is what a managed HR team tracks for you, plus the narrow local exceptions in Providence.

Local rule differs from the state default Defaults to Rhode Island state

HR and employment rule differences versus Rhode Island state defaults in the largest Rhode Island cities
City	Hiring and scheduling	Benefits, leave and pay practices	Industry rules, notices and county
ProvidenceProvidence County (no county government)	Defaults to Rhode Island state. The city's 2009 ban-the-box policy covers City of Providence hiring only.	Defaults to Rhode Island state.	Defaults to Rhode Island state, with one exception: Ordinance 334 requires a new owner or operator of a hotel with 25 or more rooms to retain the prior workforce for at least three months after the change. No county-level employment rules in Rhode Island.
CranstonProvidence County (no county government)	Defaults to Rhode Island state.	Defaults to Rhode Island state.	Defaults to Rhode Island state. No county-level employment rules in Rhode Island.
WarwickKent County (no county government)	Defaults to Rhode Island state.	Defaults to Rhode Island state.	Defaults to Rhode Island state. No county-level employment rules in Rhode Island.

State defaults, as of September 29, 2026: ban-the-box for employers with 4+ employees (no conviction questions before the first interview); Pay Equity Act (wage range on request, at hire and on transfer, salary history questions banned, poster required); a single written new-hire notice with signed acknowledgment from January 1, 2026; a written sexual harassment policy for every employer; Parental and Family Medical Leave Act (50+ employees, 13 weeks unpaid); Temporary Caregiver Insurance (8 weeks); RISavers. Sample content for staging review, confirm with counsel before publishing. Sources: RI Department of Labor and Training, City of Providence.

CoAd support in Rhode Island

Local support, wherever you are in Rhode Island.

Our nearest office is in Garden City, New York, and our payroll and HR specialists support Rhode Island employers by phone, chat and video every business day.

Nearest office

Garden City, NY

100 Quentin Roosevelt Blvd., Suite 502, Garden City, NY 11530

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Phone

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+1 (855) 351-4731, Monday through Friday.

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Support

Client support

Help center, chat and phone support for CoAdQuantum users.

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Talk to a specialist

Book time with a payroll or HR specialist who works with Rhode Island employers.

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FAQ

Questions Rhode Island employers ask us.

The answers below are a starting point. A CoAd specialist can walk through the rules for your cities and your headcount.

What is the Rhode Island minimum wage, and can a city set its own?

$16.00 per hour as of January 1, 2026, rising to $17.00 on January 1, 2027, with a $3.89 tipped cash wage. Rhode Island law bars cities from setting their own rate, so Providence, Cranston and Warwick all follow the state figure. CoAdQuantum applies the new rate each January automatically.

Is sick and safe leave paid or unpaid for my business?

Employees accrue 1 hour per 35 hours worked, up to 40 hours a year. If you averaged 18 or more Rhode Island employees in the prior year's two highest quarters, the leave is paid; with 17 or fewer, it is unpaid but still job-protected. CoAd tracks accrual, the optional 90-day waiting period and the DLT notice.

How do TDI and Temporary Caregiver Insurance affect payroll?

Both are funded entirely by a 1.1 percent employee deduction on the first $100,000 of wages in 2026. CoAd withholds and remits it and helps employees coordinate up to 30 weeks of TDI or 8 weeks of caregiver leave. There is no employer contribution.

What are the Rhode Island hiring rules we need to follow?

Employers with 4 or more employees cannot ask about criminal history before the first interview, salary history questions are banned, and the Pay Equity Act requires you to share the wage range on request, at hire and on transfer. From January 1, 2026 new hires also get a single written notice of pay terms with a signed acknowledgment. Managed HR Services builds those steps into your onboarding.

Do we have to register for RISavers?

Employers with 5 or more employees and no retirement plan must register for the state auto-IRA. Deadlines run from October 15, 2026 for employers with 100 or more employees to 2028 for those with 5 to 49. CoAd can handle the registration and the payroll deductions.

Does CoAd have an office in Rhode Island?

Our nearest office is in Garden City, New York. Rhode Island employers are supported by phone, chat and video every business day, with a specialist who works with Rhode Island businesses on your account.

Can I start with Payroll and add Managed HR Services later?

Yes. Both run on CoAdQuantum, so adding a dedicated HR team later does not mean a new system or a second implementation. Many clients add HR once they cross the 18-employee paid leave threshold or need a written sexual harassment policy and handbook.