Report: Nearly 10% of Rhode Island’s employers misclassify workers

Cassius Shuman

02/21/2022

R.I. DEPARTMENT OF Labor and Training Director Matthew Weldon agrees with the conclusion of a University of Massachusetts Amherst Labor Center report that worker misclassification and wage theft are growing concerns in the state./ PBN FILE PHOTO/ELIZABETH GRAHAM

PROVIDENCE – Misclassification of workers as independent contractors is a growing problem in the Ocean State, with nearly 10% of Rhode Island employers doing so, according to a report by the University of Massachusetts Amherst Labor Center. The misclassification saves employers one-third in labor costs, while rendering employees ineligible for social insurance, overtime pay and…