Rhode Island Addendum
In the event of a conflict between the Handbook and any provision of an applicable Addendum, the conflict will be resolved as follows:
- If a benefit provided by the University is more generous than the benefit provided in the applicable Addendum, the University will offer the employee the more generous benefit unless such benefit is limited by statute (e.g., to residents of or employees working in Colorado).
- If a University policy or procedure provides an employee with more protection than that provided under the applicable Addendum, the University’s more protective policy or procedure will apply to internal University processes, and the policy or procedure specified in the applicable Addendum will apply to external proceedings in the applicable state or local agency.
For example, if the University’s Discrimination and Harassment Policy includes more protected statuses than a particular state provides, the University’s Discrimination and Harassment Policy and the applicable procedures established by the Office of Equal Opportunity & Title IX (EOIX) will apply to a report or complaint filed with EOIX. For a complaint filed with the state or local civil rights agency, the protections afforded under the state Addendum will apply.
Employees with questions about the Handbook or any applicable Addendum should contact their HR Partner at AskHRPartners@du.edu.
Rhode Island
Crime Victim Leave
Rhode Island employees who are victims of a crime may take unpaid time off to attend court proceedings related to the crime. The University of Denver may limit the amount of leave provided under this policy if necessary to prevent an undue hardship to the University’s business.
Employees must provide the University of Denver reasonable advance notice of the need to take time off under this policy, if practicable. If advance notice is not practical, employees must provide notice as soon as practical. The University of Denver may request reasonable documentation of the need for such leave, including a copy of the notification of court proceedings.
To the extent permitted under law, the University of Denver will treat all information related to an employee’s leave pursuant to this policy as confidential. The University of Denver will not discriminate or retaliate against employees for requesting or taking leave in compliance with this policy. Employees will not lose seniority or precedence while on leave under this policy.
Employees seeking to take leave under this policy must use any available vacation and/or paid sick leave.
Parental and Family Leave
The University of Denver provides family and medical leave in accordance with the Rhode Island Parental and Family Medical Leave Act (RIPFMLA).
Rhode Island employees are eligible for RIPFMLA leave if they work an average of 30 or more hours per week and have worked for the University of Denver for 12 consecutive months before the leave. Eligible employees may take up to 13 consecutive weeks of unpaid RIPFMLA leave to be used within two calendar years for the following reasons:
- For an employee’s serious illness;
- To care for the employee's parent, spouse, child, mother-in-law, or father-in-law with a serious illness; or
- To care for the employee's child (age 16 or younger) after birth or adoption.
RIPFMLA may not be taken on an intermittent basis. Employees taking leave under the RIPFMLA must provide notice of at least 30 days before taking and returning from leave, unless prevented by medical emergency. The University of Denver may require written physician certification specifying the probable duration of the employee's leave.
Employees may continue participating in any health benefits programs in which they were enrolled before the first day of the leave for the duration of the leave. Prior to starting RIPFMLA leave, employees must pay the premium required to maintain their health benefits in force during their leave. The University of Denver will return the payment to the employee within ten days following their return from leave.
Upon return from RIPFMLA leave, employees will be restored to their original position or to a position with equivalent seniority, status, employment benefits, pay, and other terms and conditions of employment, including fringe benefits and service credits to which the employee had been entitled when their leave began.
The University of Denver will not discharge, fine, suspend, expel, discipline, or discriminate against employees for requesting or taking RIPFMLA leave. The University of Denver will also not interfere with, restrain, or deny an employee’s exercise of (or attempts to exercise) any rights provided by RIPFMLA.
Equal Employment and Anti-Discrimination Policy
This is only an excerpt of the University of Denver’s Non-Discrimination Statement and Discrimination and Harassment policy with state specific information included in italics. Please refer to the complete policy for further information.
The University of Denver is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions based on merit and University needs. Creating an inclusive and professional environment where employees feel comfortable, safe, and free from inappropriate and disrespectful conduct is one of the University’s core values. In Rhode Island: race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, homelessness, and genetic information
The University of Denver does not discriminate against (in any aspect of employment, including recruiting and hiring, job assignment, compensation, opportunities for advancement, promotion, transfers, evaluation, benefits, training, discipline, and termination), nor does it tolerate harassment by any person, including, co-workers, supervisors, and third parties, on the basis of the following Protected Characteristics:
Information about the Rhode Island Commission for Human Rights can be found at http://www.richr.ri.gov/ or by calling (401) 222-2661 or (401) 222-2664 (TTY) or emailing RICHR.Info@richr.ri.gov.
Internal Pay Transparency
Rhode Island employees may request the wage range for their current position. Employees will be provided with the wage range for their position at the time of hiring or after they move into a new position.
Jury Duty Leave
The University of Denver encourages all employees to report for jury duty and provides Rhode Island employees with unpaid time off for jury duty service. While leave to serve on a jury is unpaid, exempt salaried employees will not have their pay reduced for any week in which they work and also miss time to serve on jury duty.
After receiving a summons for jury duty, employees must provide notify the University of Denver with advance notice of the summons as soon as reasonably possible. The University of Denver may request reasonable documentation providing proof of jury duty service to the extent permitted by law. The University of Denver will not discharge, discipline, retaliate against, coerce, or otherwise penalize employees who are absent to attend judicial proceedings in response to a summons for jury duty.
Meal and Rest Breaks
Non-exempt Rhode Island employees who work at least six hours in their workday are entitled and expected to take an unpaid, off-duty, 20-minute meal break. Non-exempt employees who work at least eight hours in their workday are entitled and expected to take an unpaid, off-duty, 30-minute meal break. Meal break requirements do not apply if there are fewer than three employees at one site during the shift. Employees will be relieved of all duties for the full meal break. Failure to take full meal breaks is a violation of University of Denver policy, which may subject employees to disciplinary action, possibly including termination of employment.
Military Service Leave
This is only an excerpt of the University of Denver’s Leave of Absence policy with state specific information included in italics. Please refer to the complete policy for further information.
All employees who are members of state uniformed services, including, but not limited to, the National Guard, any State Militia, or any State Defense Force are eligible for leave under this policy. Specific rules and exceptions are as follows:
- Rhode Island employees who have worked for the University of Denver for 12 months are eligible for leave under the Military Family Relief Act (MFRA) if they are the parent or spouse of a member of the military who is called into service for longer than 30 days. Before taking leave under the MFRA, employees must have exhausted all other forms of compensatory leave.
- Rhode Island employees who seek to take leave under the MFRA must provide at least 14 days’ notice to the University of Denver of the intended start of leave if the leave will consist of 5 or more consecutive workdays. If the leave will be less than 5 consecutive workdays, employees must provide advance notice as is practicable. The University of Denver may require certification from the proper military authority to verify employees’ eligibility to take the requested leave.
- Rhode Island employees whose military orders are in effect are entitled to 15 days of unpaid leave at any time the Organization has 15-50 employees and 30 days of unpaid leave at any time the University has over 50 employees. Employees using this leave will, upon reinstatement, be restored to their same or similar position with the same rights, pay, seniority, and other benefits intact. Employees may only take leave under this policy after they have exhausted all other accrued leave except sick and disability leave.
Paid Sick Leave
Rhode Island employees accrue paid sick leave at a rate of one hour for every 35 hours worked, up to a total of 40 hours per year. Employees may use up to 40 hours per year of paid sick leave for the following reasons:
- Mental or physical illness, injury, or health condition of the employee or the employee’s family member, including for medical diagnosis, care, treatment, or preventive medical care;
- Closure of the employee's place of business or a child’s school or place of care by order of a public official due to a public health emergency;
- Care for the employee or a family member when it has been determined by the health authorities having jurisdiction or by a healthcare provider that the employee's or family member's presence in the community may jeopardize the health of others because of their exposure to a communicable disease, whether or not the employee or family member has actually contracted the communicable disease;
- The employee or a family member is a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking; or
- Other reasons provided under applicable law.
Under this policy, “family member” means a child, parent, spouse, mother-in-law, father-in-law, grandparent, grandchild, domestic partner, sibling, care recipient, or member of the employee's household.
Employees are entitled to use accrued paid sick days beginning on the 90th day of employment, after which they may use paid sick leave as it is accrued. Employees may take sick leave in increments of no less than one hour. Employees may carry over any earned but unused sick leave year-to-year.
If the need for paid sick leave is foreseeable, employees must provide reasonable advance notice to the Organization and make a reasonable effort to schedule the use of sick days in a manner that does not unduly disrupt the operations of the University of Denver. If the need for paid sick leave is unforeseeable, employees must provide notice of the need for the leave as soon as practicable. If employees are absent for three or more consecutive days, the University of Denver may require reasonable documentation that the paid sick time has been used for a purpose set forth in this policy. Reasonable documentation may include certification signed by a healthcare professional; an employee's written statement that they or their family member was a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking and that the leave taken was for one of those purposes; or a police report, court document, or signed statement from a victim and witness advocate indicating that the employee or their family member was a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking.
Sick leave will not accrue during any leave of absence. The University of Denver may prohibit employees from using sick leave during any shut down period, except as prohibited by law. Any unused sick leave will not be paid upon termination of employment. If employees separate from the University of Denver and are rehired within 135 days from their date of separation, their earned but unused paid sick leave that they had at the time of separation will be reinstated.
Abuse of the Organization’s sick leave policy is dishonest and may lead to termination of employment. Employees will not be required to find their replacements for time they take off pursuant to this policy. The University of Denver will not retaliate against employees for their use of, or attempt to use, sick days. In addition, employees will not be retaliated against for filing a complaint alleging violations of paid sick leave laws, for cooperating in an investigation or prosecution of an alleged violation of paid sick leave laws, or opposing any policy, practice, or act prohibited by any applicable paid sick leave laws.
Pregnancy Leave
Rhode Island employees who are unable to work due to medical complications relating to pregnancy may be eligible for Temporary Disability Insurance (“TDI”) to cover a portion of their wages for up to 30 weeks. For more information, visit: https://dltweb.dlt.ri.gov/TDIReserve/Common/Welcome.
School Involvement Leave
Rhode Island employees who have been employed by the University of Denver for twelve consecutive months may take up to ten hours of unpaid leave during any twelve month period to attend school conferences or other school-related activities for a child if they are the parent, foster parent or guardian of that child. Employees must provide at least 24 hours’ advance notice of the need for leave under this policy.
Employees may use available vacation or paid sick leave during otherwise unpaid time off taken under this policy.
Sexual Harassment Policy
Local Protections
Rhode Island employees can find information about filing a complaint with the Rhode Island Commission for Human Rights at http://www.richr.ri.gov/. Employees may contact the Commission by phone at (401) 222-2661 or (401) 222-2664 (TTY), by email at RICHR.Info@richr.ri.gov, or at 180 Westminster Street, 3rd Floor Providence, RI 02903.
Workweek and Work Schedules
Non-exempt, full-time Rhode Island employees who refuse to work on Sunday or a legal holiday will not be retaliated or discriminated against.