With the enactment of the Paid Leave for All Workers Act, Illinois became the third state in the nation to guarantee paid time off for any reason.
Beginning January 1, 2024, employers must provide employees with up to 40 hours of paid leave per year, to be used for any purpose. The Illinois Department of Labor is developing more specific materials to help with compliance requirements, but provided some initial guidance:
- The Act covers most Illinois employers and their employees. However, exceptions include employers in the City of Chicago and Cook County as they continue to comply with their existing paid sick leave regulations, as well as independent contractors and construction and parcel delivery employees covered by a collective bargaining agreement.
- Employees can accrue one hour of paid leave for every 40 hours worked and will be able to start using their accrued time off starting March 31, 2024, or 90 days after their start date.
- Employers cannot require documentation relating to an employee’s leave request, and the employee does not need to find a replacement during their leave.
- While on leave, employees are entitled to their full wage, with tipped workers receiving their local minimum wage.
With the ever-evolving landscape of employee leave, Sparrow’s here to keep you informed and help businesses like yours care for their employees.
Learn how our end-to-end leave management service does the heavy lifting for People teams while creating a stress-free employee experience.