On January 1, 2017, a new sick pay law will come into effect for employees in the state of Illinois. While it is called the Illinois Sick Pay Leave Act, it does not actually require employers to provide sick leave (starting in July, most Chicago employers must provide sick leave as well as Cook County Employers). The new law requires employers to allow employees to use sick leave not only for their own health situation, but also that of their children, parents and other immediate family members.
The law allows an employer to cap the amount of sick leave that can be used by someone other than the employee, however, that cap cannot be less than half the allotted sick leave available to the employee. The new law also provides additional protections for using sick leave and making it unlawful for an employer to discriminate against any employee exercising his or her rights under the new law. Any claims under the law must be filed with the Illinois Department of Labor.
As new laws are put into place there are a number of unique legal issues that arise. If you have any questions in regards to the new sick pay law, or with any other employment law issue, contact the attorney at Maduff & Maduff today.