Rhode Island General Laws 28-18-3. Issuance of homework licenses
(a) The distribution of industrial homework as defined in § 28-18-2(4) is prohibited except where licenses and certificates have been obtained from the director of labor and training.
Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 28-18-3
- Director: means the director of labor and training. See Rhode Island General Laws 28-18-2
- Employer: means any person who either directly or through an employee, agent, subcontractor, independent contractor, or any other person delivers, distributes, supplies, or furnishes, or causes to be delivered, distributed, supplied, or furnished, to another person any materials to be processed in a home, including the home of the employer, and that are subsequently to be returned to him or her or to some person acting on his or her behalf, not for the personal use of himself or herself or of a member of his or her family. See Rhode Island General Laws 28-18-2
- Industrial homework: means the processing in a home, including the home of the employer in whole or in part, of material furnished by an employer of any article or articles to be returned to the employer. See Rhode Island General Laws 28-18-2
- Industrial homeworker: means any person who processes in a home, in whole or in part, out of material furnished by an employer for industrial homework any article or articles to be returned to the employer directly or indirectly. See Rhode Island General Laws 28-18-2
(b) The director of labor and training may issue a license as provided in this chapter only if the employer maintains an establishment in this state in which persons are employed on operations the same as or similar to the proposed homework operations and if the homeworker is paid at least the same rate as that paid to workers on the same or similar operations in the establishment.
(c) The director of labor and training shall issue licenses to employers and certificates permitting industrial homework to industrial homeworkers who have reached the age of fifty (50) years or who are physically disabled and not able to go to the employer’s place of business to work.
(d) The director of labor and training shall issue licenses to employers and certificates to industrial homeworkers regardless of whether the homeworkers are physically disabled or have reached the age of fifty (50) years, in any industry where homework is customary in Rhode Island, permitting the industrial homework.
(e) The director of labor and training shall not issue the licenses in any cases or industries:
(1) Where it would unduly jeopardize the factory workers in the industry both as to wages and working conditions;
(2) It would unduly injure the health and welfare of the industrial homeworker;
(3) It would unduly jeopardize the public health and safety to have those industrial homework products distributed; or
(4) In any industry where experience has proven that homework in that industry is not susceptible of effective regulation.
History of Section.
P.L. 1936, ch. 2328, § 3; G.L. 1938, ch. 293, § 3; P.L. 1948, ch. 2110, § 3; G.L. 1956, § 28-18-3; P.L. 1999, ch. 83, § 63; P.L. 1999, ch. 130, § 63.