Coverage for Farm Workers: Required (with limitations)

Limitations: Employer must provide workers' compensation if employer employs 25 or more farm laborers for 13 consecutive weeks. Alternatively, employer who meets the above requirements may provide health and disability insurance if the premium for said insurance is higher than worker's comp.

Statute: R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-29-7.2 (2011)

Coverage for Undocumented Workers: Yes

Case Law: Villa v. Eastern Wire Prods. Co., 554 A.2d 644, 646-47 (R.I. 1989) (finding that trial commissioner's distrust of undocumented worker as a result of his use of false documentation was appropriate reason to deny workers' compensation benefits). *Note: this case was decided before the case law on this issue had developed much sophistication. There are now many new arguments that employer's counsel have available (given Hoffman Plastics, Reinforced Earth, etc.). So it is possible that a case on this issue would come out differently in Rhode Island now.

Benefits Available for Undocumented Workers: There is no case law answering this question.