If you run a Rhode Island partnership, and it has any employees, yes, it must carry workers compensation insurance from the first worker under R.I. Gen. Laws section 28-36-1. Partners themselves are left out of the definition of employee, so the state does not require partners to cover their own injuries. A partnership with no employees other than the partners is generally not required to carry a policy at all.
Who this is for: General and limited partners in a Rhode Island partnership, whether a two-partner shop with no staff or a partnership with a payroll of employees.
The short version
- A Rhode Island partnership with any non-partner employees must carry workers comp from the first hire.
- Partners are left out of the definition of employee, so the state does not require them to cover themselves.
- This covers general and limited partners, including partners in a registered limited-liability partnership.
- Employees of the partnership are always covered; the partners are the part that is optional.
- General partners can be personally exposed if an uninsured worker sues the firm.
How partners are treated
Rhode Island writes partners out of the workers comp system by default. The law that defines an employee says it does not include general or limited partners in a general partnership, a registered limited-liability partnership, a limited partnership, or partners in a registered limited-liability limited partnership. So a partner is not the firm's employee and the state does not force coverage on the partners. If a partner wants their own on-the-job injuries covered, they can elect to be included, which puts that partner's earnings on the policy. Partners who do physical or field work often add themselves; partners who only manage the business often do not.
Partners and staff on one policy
| Who | Default | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| General or limited partner | Left out of coverage | Each partner may elect to be included |
| Employee of the partnership | Covered | Employees are always covered by the policy |
| Firm with only partners, no employees | Not required | Partners may add themselves if they take a policy |
| Firm with one or more employees | Coverage required | Every employee must be covered from day one |
Why personal exposure raises the stakes
In a general partnership, the partners can be personally liable for the firm's obligations. If the partnership fails to carry required comp, an injured worker can sue in civil court, where the law removes the defenses that the worker was careless, knew the risk, or was hurt by a co-worker. Rhode Island also lets the general partners be held personally and jointly liable for the unpaid benefits, so going uninsured concentrates risk on the very people who own the business. Carrying a policy makes comp the worker's exclusive remedy and generally blocks the lawsuit, protecting both the firm and the partners.
A Newport example
Illustrative, not a quote. Two partners run a plumbing partnership in Newport with three employed plumbers. Both partners still work in the field, so they elect to include themselves rather than rely only on other coverage, and they cover all three employees. A general contractor they subcontract for requires proof of coverage, which the firm produces right away because the policy is already in place. When an employee strains his back lifting a water heater, comp pays and the partnership keeps its protection from being sued over the injury (the exclusive remedy). The partners ask us to review their payroll so the plumbing work is rated correctly. See our workers comp for plumbers page.
Real questions Rhode Island owners ask
Does a Rhode Island partnership have to carry workers comp?
If it has any employees other than the partners, yes, from the first hire. A firm with only partners and no employees generally is not required to carry it, because partners are left out of the employee definition.
Am I covered as a general partner?
Not by default. Rhode Island leaves general and limited partners out of the definition of employee, so you are not on the policy unless you elect to include yourself and cover your own injuries.
Can one partner be covered and another left off?
Yes. Coverage is decided partner by partner. A partner who does field work can elect to be included while a partner who only manages the office stays off, which keeps that pay out of the premium.
Does this apply to a limited-liability partnership too?
Yes. Rhode Island lists general and limited partners, and partners in a registered limited-liability partnership, among those who are not employees, so the same default applies across those partnership types.
Are our employees covered if the partners stay off?
Yes. Leaving the partners off does not affect the staff. Employees of the partnership are always covered by the policy regardless of whether the partners add themselves or not.
Can an injured worker reach the partners personally?
In a general partnership, partners can be personally liable for the firm's obligations, and Rhode Island can hold them jointly liable for unpaid benefits. Carrying comp makes it the worker's exclusive remedy.
Is workers comp the same as our general liability policy?
No. General liability covers harm to other people and their property, while workers comp covers your own workers' on-the-job injuries. A client contract may require both, and they do different jobs.
Why Rhode Island owners choose Morrow
- We shop the right market for you. In Rhode Island you buy workers' comp on the open market from any carrier licensed in the state, with the state-chartered Beacon Mutual competing alongside private insurers and also standing as the carrier of last resort, so we can shop your price freely and still have a guaranteed fallback if you are hard to place.
- We catch pricing mistakes. Your price depends heavily on the category your work falls into for pricing (the class code). Put people in the wrong category and you overpay for years. We review your payroll and classifications before you buy.
- Proof of coverage, fast. Need a certificate (proof of coverage) for a general contractor or a landlord before Monday? We turn those around the same business day for most carriers.
- We help lower the score that drives your price. Insurers give you a score based on your past claims that raises or lowers your cost (the experience modification rate). We review it each year, flag errors, and connect you with return-to-work and safety resources that bring it down.
- Real people when a claim happens. When someone gets hurt, we stay involved through the life of the claim, not just at renewal.
Related Rhode Island guides
Every Rhode Island business is set up a little differently. These companion guides answer the same question for other situations, plus the national explainers behind the terms used here.
- Business insurance in Rhode Island (start here)
- Workers comp: the owner's overview
- I own an LLC: do I need workers comp?
- I'm a sole proprietor: do I need workers comp?
- I own a corporation (C-corp or S-corp): do I need it?
- We're a nonprofit: do we need workers comp?
- My workers are 1099: do I still need it?
- Only part-time or seasonal staff: do I need it?
- I only employ family: do I need workers comp?
- Remote or out-of-state staff: do I need coverage?
- What happens if I don't carry workers comp?
- How much does workers comp cost?
- How do I get workers comp (even if turned down)?
- What insurance do I need for a contractor license?
- Workers compensation insurance, explained
- What workers comp costs (national guide)
- Do sole proprietors need workers comp?
- What workers comp does not cover
- Rhode Island plumber workers comp
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rhode Island rules and penalty amounts can change, so verify current requirements with Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training (DLT), Division of Workers' Compensation or a licensed advisor before you rely on them. Last updated: July 2026.