New, sweeping employment laws will take effect in Illinois, some specific to Chicago, on July 1, 2020. Below is a snapshot of these laws, with links to summaries on the individual measures previously provided by Taft’s Employment and Labor Relations group.

Illinois

• Minimum Wage Increase: The Illinois minimum wage will increase to $10/hour. Also, the Cook County minimum wage will increase to $13/hour except for suburbs that have opted out.
• Settlement and Adverse Ruling Disclosures: Employers must disclose annually any settlement, adverse judgment, or administrative ruling against them, involving harassment or discrimination, to the Illinois Department of Human Rights.
• The definition of “Employer” under the Illinois Human Rights Act (Act) will now include all employers with at least one employee (decreased from 15). These smaller employers will now be subject to race, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and age discrimination claims under the Act. They will also be subject to the remaining obligations under the Illinois Workplace Transparency Act, which were effective on Jan. 1, 2020.

Chicago

• Minimum Wage Increase: The Chicago minimum wage will increase to $14/hour for employers with at least 21 employees, and to $13.50/hour for employers with between four and 20 employees.
• Fair Workweek Ordinance: Covered employers in healthcare, restaurant, and other industries must pay employees for certain late changes to work schedules, and provide advance written notice of work schedules, among other scheduling requirements.

Though state and local governments have issued COVID-19 emergency measures affecting other laws, the pandemic will not affect the implementation of the above July 1, 2020 laws. As such, employers should ensure compliance with the new legislation despite the pandemic. Taft’s Employment and Labor Relations group is ready to help your business through these imminent changes.