When is a Rhode Island final paycheck due after separation?

Under RI Gen. Laws § 28-14-4, wages are due on the next regular payday for most separations (both discharge and resignation). If the business is being liquidated or relocated out of Rhode Island, all wages are due within 24 hours.

Does Rhode Island require vacation payout at separation?

Under RI Gen. Laws § 28-14-4, employees with one or more years of service are entitled to accrued, unused vacation pay at separation. Vacation pay is treated as earned wages for these employees.

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Rhode Island final pay

Rhode Island Final Paycheck Deadline Calculator

Rhode Island's RI Gen. Laws § 28-14-4 sets the final paycheck deadline at the next regular payday for most separations — with a 24-hour exception when a business is being liquidated or relocated out of state. Employees with one or more years of service are also owed accrued vacation.

Rhode Island's RI Gen. Laws § 28-14-4 requires final wages at the next regular payday for separated employees (discharge or resignation), with a 24-hour deadline when the business is being liquidated or relocated out of Rhode Island; employees with one or more years of service are also entitled to accrued, unused vacation pay at separation. — Source: Rhode Island Legislature, § 28-14-4

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Rhode Island's final paycheck rules

RI Gen. Laws § 28-14-4, confirmed from rilegislature.gov, establishes two distinct deadline paths:

Circumstance	Deadline
Normal separation (discharge or resignation)	Next regular payday (§ 28-14-4)
Business liquidation or relocation out of RI	Within 24 hours

Vacation pay for employees with 1+ year of service

RI Gen. Laws § 28-14-4 specifically provides that employees with one or more years of service are entitled to their accrued, unused vacation pay at separation. This vacation pay has "the same status as wages earned" — the employer cannot simply forfeit it if the employee meets the service threshold.

Worked example: normal separation

Last day worked: 2026-08-14 Next regular payday: 2026-08-28 Deadline: 2026-08-28 Also potentially owed (if ≥ 1 year service): accrued unused vacation

Worked example: business liquidation

Last day worked: 2026-08-14 Business closing/relocating out of RI: yes 24-hour deadline: 2026-08-15 (next calendar day, approximate)

What this calculator does not determine

The amount of wages, commissions, or accrued vacation owed.
Whether the employee meets the one-year service requirement for vacation payout.
Whether a collective-bargaining agreement or employment contract changes the applicable deadline.
Any Sunday/holiday retail premium rules (those are covered separately under RI Gen. Laws § 28-12-4.3).

Sources and verification

The final-pay rule, vacation-payout requirement, and 24-hour liquidation deadline are all confirmed from RI Gen. Laws § 28-14-4 as noted in the site research findings (rilegislature.gov). Rhode Island wage claims may be filed with the RI Department of Labor and Training, Division of Labor Standards (dlt.ri.gov).

Common questions

Does the 24-hour rule apply only when the business is closing entirely?

The statute covers both business liquidation and relocation out of Rhode Island. A business that is simply downsizing but remaining in RI is not covered by the 24-hour rule — the normal next-regular-payday deadline applies.

Does Rhode Island require vacation payout for all employees at separation?

Only for employees with one or more years of service. Employees who have worked less than one year are not covered by the § 28-14-4 vacation-payout requirement, though an employer's own policy may still require payout.

Is Rhode Island's final paycheck rule the same for discharges and resignations?

Yes. RI Gen. Laws § 28-14-4 applies the same next-regular-payday deadline (or 24-hour deadline in liquidation/relocation cases) regardless of how employment ended.