Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws > Chapter 28-50 - The Rhode Island Whistleblowers' Protection Act

• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Department: means the department of labor and training. See Rhode Island General Laws 28-29-2
• Employee: means a person employed by any employer, and shall include, but not be limited to: at-will employees, contract employees, applicants, prospective employees, and independent contractors. See Rhode Island General Laws 28-50-2
• Employer: means any person, partnership, association, sole proprietorship, corporation, or other business entity, including any department, agency, commission, committee, board, council, bureau, or authority or any subdivision thereof in state or municipal government. See Rhode Island General Laws 28-50-2
• Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
• in writing: include printing, engraving, lithographing, and photo-lithographing, and all other representations of words in letters of the usual form. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-16
• Injury: means and refers to personal injury to an employee arising out of and in the course of his or her employment, connected and referable to the employment. See Rhode Island General Laws 28-29-2
• Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
• Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
• Person: means an individual, sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, association, or any other legal entity. See Rhode Island General Laws 28-50-2
• Public body: means all of the following:

  (i)  A state officer, employee, agency, department, division, bureau, board, commission, council, authority, or other body in the executive branch of state government;

  (ii)  An agency, board, commission, council, member, or employee of the legislative branch of state government;

  (iii)  A county, city, town, or regional governing body, a council, school district, or a board, department, commission, agency, or any member or employee of the entity;

  (iv)  Any other body that is created by state or local authority or that is primarily funded by or through state or local authority, or any member or employee of that body;

  (v)  A law enforcement agency or any member or employee of a law enforcement agency;

  (vi)  The judiciary and any member or employee of the judiciary;

  (vii)  Any federal agency. See Rhode Island General Laws 28-50-2

• Supervisor: means any individual to whom an employer has given the authority to direct and control the work performance of the affected employee or any individual who has the authority to take corrective action regarding the violation of a law, rule, or regulation about which the employee complains. See Rhode Island General Laws 28-50-2
• town: may be construed to include city; the words "town council" include city council; the words "town clerk" include city clerk; the words "ward clerk" include clerk of election district; the words "town treasurer" include city treasurer; and the words "town sergeant" include city sergeant. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-9
• United States: include the several states and the territories of the United States. See Rhode Island General Laws 43-3-8