R.I. Gen. Laws
Rhode Island General Laws

R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-44-17 (2026)

Voluntary leaving without good cause

✓ text as last checked Sept. 2026 (this copy records no edition or section history)
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(a) For benefit years beginning prior to July 1, 2012, an individual who leaves work voluntarily without good cause shall be ineligible for waiting period credit, or benefits for the week in which the voluntary quit occurred, and until he or she establishes to the satisfaction of the director that he or she has subsequent to that leaving had at least eight (8) weeks of work, and in each of those eight (8) weeks has had earnings of at least twenty (20) times the minimum hourly wage as defined in chapter 12 of this title for performing services in employment for one or more employers subject to chapters 42 — 44 of this title. For benefit years beginning on or after July 1, 2012, and prior to July 6, 2014, an individual who leaves work voluntarily without good cause shall be ineligible for waiting period credit or benefits for the week in which the voluntary quit occurred and until he or she establishes to the satisfaction of the director that he or she has subsequent to that leaving had at least eight (8) weeks of work, and in each of those eight (8) weeks has had earnings greater than, or equal to, his or her weekly benefit rate for performing services in employment for one or more employers subject to chapters 42 — 44 of this title. For benefit years beginning on or after July 6, 2014, an individual who leaves work voluntarily without good cause shall be ineligible for waiting period credit or benefits for the week in which the voluntary quit occurred and until he or she establishes to the satisfaction of the director that he or she has, subsequent to that leaving, had earnings greater than, or equal to, eight (8) times his or her weekly benefit rate for performing services in employment for one or more employers subject to chapters 42 — 44 of this title. For the purposes of this section, “voluntarily leaving work with good cause” shall include:

(1) Sexual harassment against members of either sex;

(2) Voluntarily leaving work with an employer to accompany, join, or follow his or her spouse to a place, due to a change in location of the spouse’s employment, from which it is impractical for such individual to commute; and

(3) The need to take care for a member of the individual’s immediate family due to illness or disability as defined by the Secretary of Labor; provided that the individual shall not be eligible for waiting period credit or benefits until he or she is able to work and is available for work. For the purposes of this provision, the following terms apply:

(i) “Immediate family member” means a spouse, parents, mother-in-law, father-in-law and children under the age of eighteen (18);

(ii) “Illness” means a verified illness that necessitates the care of the ill person for a period of time longer than the employer is willing to grant leave, paid or otherwise; and

(iii) “Disability” means all types of verified disabilities, including mental and physical disabilities, permanent and temporary disabilities, and partial and total disabilities.

(b) For the purposes of this section, “voluntarily leaving work without good cause” shall include voluntarily leaving work with an employer to accompany, join, or follow his or her spouse in a new locality in connection with the retirement of his or her spouse, or failure by a temporary employee to contact the temporary help agency upon completion of the most recent work assignment to seek additional work unless good cause is shown for that failure; provided, that the temporary help agency gave written notice to the individual that the individual is required to contact the temporary help agency at the completion of the most recent work assignment to seek additional work.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 20 cases, 1962–2013 · leading case: Rhode Island Temps, Inc. v. Dep't of Labor & Training, 749 A.2d 1121 (R.I. 2000).
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Rhode Island Temps, Inc. v. Dep't of Labor & Training, 749 A.2d 1121 (R.I. 2000). · cites it 4× “70, § 1, July 1, 1997) concerning voluntarily leaving without good cause, as we must read this section in harmony with § 28^44-12 and the entirety of the Act. Section 28-44-17 provides in part: “An individual who leaves work voluntarily without good cause shall be ineligible for…”
Rocky Hill Sch., Inc. v. State Dep't of Emp. & Training, Bd. of Review, 668 A.2d 1241 (R.I. 1995). · cites it 12× “The applicable provision of § 28-44-17 reads as follows: “On and after July 2, 1978, an individual who leaves work voluntarily without good cause shall be ineligible for waiting period credit or benefits until he establishes to *1242 the satisfaction of the director that he has…”
Powell v. Dep't of Emp. Sec., Bd. of Review, 477 A.2d 93 (R.I. 1984). · cites it 4× “She further testified that the Girl Scouts of Rhode Island would not have hired petitioner if he had not had a good relationship with the media or if he had sent out a press release containing false or misleading information.”
Kane v. Women & Infants Hosp. of Ri, 592 A.2d 137 (R.I. 1991). · cites it 5× “1956 (1986 Reenactment) § 28-44-17. 2 That section specifically states that employees who voluntarily leave employment pursuant to a retirement plan are deemed to have left for good cause and are eligible to receive unemployment benefits.”
Murphy v. Fascio, 340 A.2d 137 (R.I. 1975). · cites it 5× “The Director of the Department of Employment Security denied the claim on the ground that under §28-44-17 the claimant had voluntarily left her job without good cause -and was, therefore, ineligible for the unemployment relief requested.”
Fontaine v. Bd. of Review of Dep't of Emp. Sec., 210 A.2d 867 (R.I. 1965). · cites it 4× “Their claims were denied by the director on the ground that they had left work volun *40 tarily without good cause and were therefore subject to the penalty provisions prescribed in §28-44-17. The claimants thereupon filed appeals with the board.”
Harraka v. Bd. of Review of Dep't of Emp. Sec., 200 A.2d 595 (R.I. 1964). · cites it 2× “Section 28-44-17 provides in part that “an individual who leaves work voluntarily without good cause shall be ineligible for waiting period credit or benefits * * The extent to which this limits eligibility for benefits is to be determined in the light of the expressed…”
Cahoone v. Bd. of Review of the Dep't of Emp. Sec., 246 A.2d 213 (R.I. 1968). “1956, §28-44-17, as amended, for determining entitlement to benefits.”
D'Ambra v. Bd. of Review, 517 A.2d 1039 (R.I. 1986). “1956 (1979 Reenactment) § 28-44-17. The facts of the case are set forth succinctly in the findings of fact of the board.”
Whitelaw v. Bd. of Review of the Dep't of Emp. Sec., 185 A.2d 104 (R.I. 1962). · cites it 3× “1956, §28-44-17, as amended, he was disqualified from receiving benefits because he had left his work voluntarily without good cause.”
Cahoone v. Bd. of Review Dept. of Emp. Sec., 246 A.2d 213 (R.I. 1968). · cites it 2× “That is the test fixed by G.L. 1956, § 28-44-17, as amended, for determining entitlement to benefits.”
Whitelaw v. Bd. of Review of Dept. Emp. Sec., 185 A.2d 104 (R.I. 1962). · cites it 4× “He was subsequently notified by the director of the department of employment security that under the provisions of G.L. 1956, § 28-44-17, as amended, he was disqualified from receiving benefits because he had left his work voluntarily without good cause.”
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