1/11/23: Last night, the Illinois Legislature passed the Paid Leave for All
Workers Act. The Act requires almost all private employers to provide
paid leave to employees to use for any purpose.
“This is a significant expansion of the legal obligations facing Illinois employers,” says Gary Savine, Principal, Savine Employment Law, Ltd. “Proper compliance will require careful advance planning. Chicago and Cook County employers should be aware that the new legislation does not mirror existing sick pay ordinances. The new law expands on rights afforded under those ordinances by providing paid time off for any personal reason, even if it’s not a health related reason.”
Illinois employers should begin working with their counsel as early in the year as possible to be prepared by the January 1, 2024 effective date.”
Here are the details:
- All employers will be required to provide their employees with a minimum of 40
hours (or five days) of paid leave per year to be used for any reason.
- Employers may choose to offer more paid leave time than the Act requires.
- A worker may begin to earn paid leave on their first day of their employment
at a rate of one hour of leave for every 40 hours worked. - Employees may use their paid leave starting on the 90th day of employment.
An employer, however, may allow a worker to use it earlier. - Workplaces can still require their employees to provide notice before taking
paid time off. If the use of leave is unforeseeable, an employee is directed to
provide notice as soon as practicable. - Unused paid leave will carry over annually, up to 40 hours. However,
employers are not required to cash out the balance of an outgoing employee’s
paid leave. - Employers that violate the act would be subject to penalties, including fines
and compensatory damages for the affected employee. Employees can also
sue their employers in court for noncompliance.
Contact Savine Employment Law, Ltd. at (312) 788-2668 to learn steps your
business should take immediately to prepare for this new groundbreaking law.
Savine Employment Law, Ltd. represents Chicago and Illinois employers in all aspects of labor and employment law. Our starting point is a preventive approach – we first aim to ensure our clients comply with the law and avoid employee disputes. When disputes arise, we look for peaceful paths to resolution that service the business’s goals. When lawsuits result, we defend our clients aggressively and creatively. Call Savine Employment Law, Ltd. today for a Chicago employment lawyer.