Illinois Issues Updated FAQs to Provide Clarification on Paid Leave for All Workers Act

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Illinois recently revised its FAQs to offer more guidance on the Paid Leave for All Workers Act (PLAWA), which took effect on January 1, 2024.


The updates provide key clarifications on employee rights and employer responsibilities regarding paid leave requests and documentation:

  • Employers already providing at least 40 hours of paid leave per year that can be used for any reason (such as vacation, paid time off, personal time) likely comply with PLAWA and do not need to modify their existing policy or provide additional leave.
  • Employers are prohibited from asking employees to provide the reason or documentation relating to their paid leave request. However, employers offering paid leave beyond the 40 hours mandated by PLAWA may communicate and enforce reasonable policies requiring reasons or documentation for using these additional hours.
  • Employers are able to pro-rate paid leave for mid-year hires as long as they comply with PLAWA requirements, where these employees would subsequently receive the full amount of paid leave at the beginning of the upcoming calendar year.

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