§ 28-57-3. Definitions.

As used in the chapter, the following words and terms have the following meanings:

(1) €œCare recipient€ means a person for whom the employee is responsible for providing or arranging health- or safety-related care, including, but not limited to, helping the person obtain diagnostic, preventive, routine, or therapeutic health treatment or ensuring the person is safe following domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking.

(2) €œCCAP family childcare provider€ means a childcare worker as defined in § 40-6.6-2(2).

(3) €œChild€ means a person as defined in § 28-41-34(3).

(4) €œDepartment€ means the department of labor and training.

(5) €œDomestic partner€ means a party to a civil union as defined in chapter 3.1 of title 15 or a person who meets the requirements in §§ 36-12-1(3)(i) through (3)(v) and has the same meaning as that term is defined in § 8-8.2-20.

(6) €œDomestic violence€ means certain crimes when committed by one family or household member against another as defined in § 12-29-2.

(7) €œEmployee€ means any person suffered or permitted to work by an employer, except for those not considered employees as defined in § 28-12-2. Independent contractors, subcontractors, work study participants as described pursuant to 20 U.S.C. § 1087-53, and any other individuals pursuant to the provisions of 29 U.S.C. § 203 et seq. (Fair Labor Standards Act) shall not be considered to be employees for the purpose of this act.

(8) €œEmployer€ means any individual or entity that includes any individual, partnership, association, corporation, business trust, or any person or group of persons acting directly or indirectly in the interest of an employer, in relation to an employee as defined in § 28-12-2, but does not include the federal government, and provided that in determining the number of employees performing work for an employer as defined in 29 C.F.R. § 791.2 of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, 29 U.S.C. § 201 et seq., the total number of employees in that group shall be counted.

(9) €œFamily member€ means a child, parent, spouse, mother-in-law, father-in-law, grandparents, grandchildren, or domestic partner, sibling, care recipient, or member of the employee€™s household.

(10) €œHealthcare professional€ means any person licensed under federal or Rhode Island law to provide medical or emergency services, including, but not limited to: doctors, nurses, and emergency room personnel.

(11) €œPaid sick leave time€ or €œpaid sick and safe leave time€ means time that is compensated at the same hourly rate and with the same benefits, including healthcare benefits, as the employee normally earns during hours worked and is provided by an employer to an employee for the purposes described in § 28-57-6, but in no case shall the hourly wage paid leave be less than that provided under § 28-12-3.

(12) €œParent€ means a person as defined in § 28-41-34(9) or a person as defined in § 28-41-34(10).

(13) €œSeasonal employee€ means a person as defined in 26 C.F.R. § 54.4980H-1(a)(38).

(14) €œSexual assault€ means a crime as defined in § 11-37-2, § 11-37-4 or § 11-37-6.

(15) €œSibling€ means a brother or a sister, whether related through half blood, whole blood, or adoption, a foster sibling, or a step-sibling.

(16) €œSpouse€ means a person as defined in § 28-41-34(13).

(17) €œStalking€ means a crime as described in §§ 11-59-2 and 11-52-4.2.

(18) €œTemporary employee€ means any person working for, or obtaining employment pursuant to an agreement with any employment agency, placement service, or training school or center.

(19) €œUnpaid sick time€ is time that is used for the purposes described in § 28-57-6.

(20) €œYear€ means a regular and consecutive twelve-month (12) period as determined by the employer; except that for the purposes of § 28-57-7, €œyear€ means a calendar year.