October 2016
October 5 – The Cook County Board of Commissioners passed an ordinance requiring employers to provide sick leave to employees
On October 5, 2016, the Cook County Commissioners passed an ordinance requiring employers to provide sick leave to employees. Under the new sick leave requirement, employers must provide eligible employees with at least 1 hour of sick leave for every 40 hours worked. To be eligible, an employee must:
- work for their employer for at least 80 hours in a 120-day period and
- work at least 2 hours in Cook County every two weeks and
Employees must be allowed to use the sick leave for the following purposes:
- the employee’s own illness, injury, medical care, treatment, diagnosis, or preventative medical care;
- a family member’s illness, injury, medical care, treatment, diagnosis, or preventative medical care;
- the employee or a member of the employee’s family is the victim of domestic violence, sexual violence, or stalking; and
- the employee’s place of business is closed by order of a public official due to a public health emergency, or the employee needs to care for a child whose school or place of care has been closed by order of a public official due to a public health emergency.
Other requirements and restrictions apply.
The new law goes into effect on July 1, 2017.
For more information, read Cook County Ordinance 16-4229.
September 2016
None
August 2016
August 19 – Gov. Rauner signed a law requiring employers to allow employees to use sick leave to care for family members
On August 19, 2016, Gov. Rauner signed the Employee Sick Leave Act that requires employers that provide sick leave benefits to employees to allow employees to use the sick leave to care for family members, including a child, spouse, sibling, parent, mother-in-law, father-in-law, grandchild, grandparent, or stepparent. Other requirements and restrictions apply.
The new law goes into effect on January 1, 2017.
For more information, read IL House Bill 6162.
August 19 – Gov. Rauner signed a law prohibiting employers from requiring low-wage employees from signing non-compete agreements
On August 19, 2016, Gov. Rauner signed the Freedom to Work Act which prohibits employers from requiring low-wage employees from signing non-compete agreements. Low-wage workers are defined as employees who earn the greater of $13.00 or the minimum wage required by the applicable federal, state, or local minimum wage.
The new law goes into effect on January 1, 2017.
For more information, read IL Senate Bill 3163.
August 12 – Gov. Rauner signed a law extending many statutory protections to domestic workers
On August 12, 2016, Gov. Rauner signed the Domestic Workers’ Bill of Rights Act which extends statutory protections, including the Human Rights Act, the Minimum Wage Law, the Wages of Women and Minors Act, and the One Day Rest in Seven Act, to domestic workers.
The new law goes into effect on January 1, 2017.
For more information, read IL House Bill 1288.
July 2016
July 29 – Gov. Rauner signed a law requiring certain employers to provide child bereavement leave to employees
On July 29, 2016, Gov. Rauner signed a law requiring employers who are subject to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to provide employees up to 10 days of unpaid bereavement leave after the death of a child. All 10 days of bereavement leave must be used by the employee with 60 days of the death of the child. Other requirements and restrictions apply.
The new became effective when signed.
For more information, read IL Senate Bill 2613.
July 22 – Gov. Rauner signed a law protecting employees’ privacy rights
On July 22, 2016, Gov. Brown signed the Right to Privacy in the Workplace Act prohibiting employers from:
- requesting, requiring, or coercing employees to provide personal information including usernames and passwords to personal online accounts
- requesting, requiring, or coercing employees to access personal online accounts in the presence of the employer or it representatives
- requiring or coercing employees or applicants to invite the employer to join any online groups
- retaliating against employees in any manner for refusing to perform any act that violates this law.
Other restrictions and requirements apply.
The new law becomes effective on January 1, 2017.
For more information, read IL House Bill 4999.
July 15 – Gov. Rauner signed a law amending the state’s Secure Choice Savings Programs Act.
On July 15, 2016, Gov. Rauner signed a law that amends the state’s Secure Choice Savings Program Act, that requires business that have been in business for at least to year, have at least of 25 employees, and do not offer a qualified savings plan, to offer either a private market savings plan or automatically enroll their employees into Secure Choice. The Secure Choice accounts will be owned by each employee and portable from job to job and other terms and conditions apply. Enrollment in the program will begin in the summer of 2017.
For more information about the Secure Choice Savings Program Act, read Secure Choice Savings Program Act. For more information about the amendments, read Illinois Senate Bill 2420.
June 2016
None
May 2016
None
April 2016
None
March 2016
None
February 2016
None
January 2016
None
