On March 14, 2024, the Cook County Board of Commissioners passed an amendment to the new Cook County Paid Leave Ordinance and approved the final draft of proposed rules under the Ordinance. The new amendment, effective immediately, postpones the implementation […]
Articles About Illinois Labor And Employment Law.
Illinois Federal Court Holds that a Pension Rehabilitation Plan Fund Used an Improper High-Contribution Rate in Withdrawal Liability Calculations
In a matter of first impression for federal courts, the Northern District of Illinois found that a pension fund cannot use post-2014 contribution rate increases made pursuant to a rehabilitation plan to calculate an employer’s withdrawal liability payment amount. This decision represents a major victory for employers faced with inflated
Illinois Uses Pre-Apprenticeship Program to Increase Diversity in Construction Trades
The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Development (DCED) awarded more than $18 million in grant funding to 36 recipients through the Illinois Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program. Recipients include contractor groups such as the Associated Builders and Contractors, colleges and universities, and non-profits dedicated to providing skills-building training that prepares individuals to enter full apprenticeship programs then enter the building and construction trades.
Illinois Day and Temporary Labor Services Act Equivalent-Benefits Provision Enjoined
A federal judge has granted a preliminary injunction prohibiting the Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL) from enforcing the equivalent-benefits provision of the Illinois Day and Temporary Labor Services Act (IDTLSA). Staffing Services Association of Illinois, et al. v. Flanagan, No. 1:23-cv-16208 (N.D. Ill. Mar. 11, 2024). That provision was set to go into effect on April 1, 2024.
Preliminary Injunction Against Illinois Equivalent Benefits Law for Temporary Workers
In November 2023, soon after Illinois Governor JB Pritzker signed amendments to the Illinois Day and Temporary Labor Services Act (the “Act”), several staffing agencies and associations sued for an injunction against enforcement of certain provisions of the Act. In Staffing Services Association of Illinois v. Flanagan, Case No. 23-CV-16208,
Reminder: Illinois Equal Pay Registration Certificate Reporting Deadline is March 23, 2024
The Illinois Equal Pay Act requires all private businesses with at least 100 Illinois employees to obtain an Equal Pay Registration Certificate (EPRC) by March 23, 2024.
To obtain a certificate, businesses must pay a $150 filing fee, complete a compliance statement, and provide a wage records report containing detailed
Attention, Illinois Employers: The Equal Pay Registration Certificate Submission Deadline Is March 24, 2024!
Private businesses with one hundred or more Illinois employees as of December 31, 2023, and that are required to file an annual Employer Information Report EEO-1 with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), must obtain an Equal Pay Registration Certificate (EPRC) by March 24, 2024. Employers that have not
New Illinois and Chicago Laws for 2024
Illinois state and local legislatures kept busy in 2023 with the enactment of numerous new labor and employment laws, including significant changes to paid and sick leave for employees and new protections for temporary laborers and independent contractors. While some laws took effect during 2023, implementation of others was pushed
Illinois Appellate Court Issues New Ruling Concerning the OMA and FOIA
Early this year, the Illinois Appellate Court issued an opinion responding to challenges asserted under the Open Meetings Act (OMA) and the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The Appellate Court held that the Village of Oak Brook improperly asserted the […]
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Cook County, Illinois, Replaces Earned Sick Leave Ordinance With Paid Leave Ordinance
For Illinois employers, the new year brings a variety of new paid leave laws, the most recent being the Cook County Paid Leave Ordinance passed by the Cook County Board of Commissioners on Dec. 14, 2023.
Major Paid Leave Changes Coming Under the New Chicago Paid Leave and Paid Sick and Safe Leave Ordinance
Executive Summary: In response to the State of Illinois enacting the Paid Leave for All Workers Act (“PLAW Act”), which requires 40 hours of paid leave to be provided to employees that can be used for any reason, but exempts Chicago and Cook County because they already had paid sick leave ordinances, the City of Chicago enacted, on November 9, 2023, a new Chicago Paid Leave and Paid Sick and Safe Leave Ordinance (the “Ordinance” or “CPLO”).
Cook County Passes Paid Leave Ordinance
Executive Summary: On December 14, 2023, the Cook County Board of Commissioners passed the Cook County Paid Leave Ordinance, which replaces the Earned Sick Leave Ordinance. The new Paid Leave Ordinance (the “Ordinance”) is effective only 17 days later, on December 31, 2023, giving Cook County employers virtually no time to update their policies. Enforcement will begin on February 1, 2024.
Navigating Employee Leave Laws: A Comparative Guide for Employers in Illinois, Chicago, and Cook County
Executive Summary: In January 2023, the Illinois Legislature passed the Paid Leave for All Workers Act (PLAW Act). The PLAW Act specifically exempted the City of Chicago and certain municipalities in Cook County because they already had existing paid sick leave policies, which allowed for leave for traditional sick leave reasons such as the employee’s or employee’s family’s illness or preventative medical care, assistance for victims of violent crimes, public health closures of the business, etc.
Illinois’ Paid Leave for All Workers Act – Learn Your Rules
Executive Summary: In March 2023, the Illinois Legislature enacted the Paid Leave for All Workers Act (PLAW Act), which becomes effective January 1, 2024. This law requires, with a few exceptions, “an employee who works in Illinois” to be eligible to earn “up to a minimum 40 hours of paid leave” in a 12-month period. The paid leave can be used for “any reason.” In November 2023, the Illinois Department of Labor (“IDOL”) released its Proposed Rules for the PLAW Act, which as of publication of this Alert, have not yet been passed.
Chicago Paid Leave and Paid Sick Leave Ordinance Delayed to July 2024
The Chicago City Council voted on December 13, 2023, to amend the effective date of the Chicago Paid Leave and Paid Sick and Safe Leave Ordinance from December 31, 2023, to July 1, 2024.