Illinois (as well as California and D.C.) requires that an “employer must grant an employee leave of up to a total of 8 hours during any school year, no more than 4 hours of which may be taken on any given day, to attend school conferences or classroom activities related to the employee’s child if the conference or classroom activities cannot be scheduled during nonwork hours” 820 ILCS 147/15.
There are a few requirements for the law to apply.
- The employee must have worked at least 6 consecutive months immediately preceding the request
- The employee must work at least one-half the hours expected of a full-time employee (e.g. if full-time is 40 hours, than you need to work at least 20)
- The employee must provide written notice – at least 7 days in advance. (In emergencies 24 hours of notice is all that is required.
- The act only applies to employers that employ at least 50 or more individuals in Illinois
- An employer may require verification of the parent teacher conference.
It is important to note that this new law is in addition to your rights to medical leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), to accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or to a host of other reasons which may entitle you to leave.
Our attorneys have been specializing in all kinds of leave issues, discrimination, wage and overtime theft, and civil rights for more than 20 years. Contact us with your employment legal concerns today.