Illinois Human Rights Act

Increases to minimum wage

Effective January 1, 2025, the minimum wage rate in Illinois increased by $1 per hour from $14.00 to $15.00. The minimum wage for tipped workers and youth workers (under 18) working fewer than 650 hours per calendar year was raised to $9.00 per hour and $13.00 per hour, respectively.

Pay transparency posting requirements take effect

An amendment to the Illinois Equal Pay Act (IEPA) requires employers with 15 or more employees to include “pay scale and benefits” information in every job posting for a position that will be “physically performed, at least in part, in Illinois” or for a position that will be physically performed outside of Illinois but that reports to a “supervisor, office, or other work site in Illinois.” Employers must also provide such information to third parties engaged to make job postings and inform all current employees of externally listed opportunities for promotion within 14 days of posting. In addition to posting requirements, employers must maintain records of job postings and pay and benefits information for five years and are prohibited from retaliating against employees or applicants who exercise their rights under the amendments to the IEPA.Continue Reading Key workplace changes for Illinois employers in 2025

On July 14, 2020, the Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR) released guidance for employers regarding the state’s new “adverse judgment or administrative ruling” reporting requirement.  Following amendments to the Illinois Human Rights Act, employers with at least one adverse judgment or administrative ruling must disclose to the IDHR the total number of final, non-appealable judgments or final, non-appealable rulings against the employer in which there was a finding of sexual harassment or unlawful discrimination.

The guidance released this month resolves ambiguity by clarifying employers’ deadlines for reporting to the IDHR.  The deadline to report for calendar year 2019 is now October 31, 2020, and the reporting deadline will be July 1 for subsequent years.

The reporting requirement is not limited to employers with a physical presence in Illinois.  As the guidance reiterates, the reporting requirement applies to “any person employing one or more employees in Illinois.”
Continue Reading Illinois releases guidance regarding reporting rule for sexual harassment and discrimination judgments