House Bill 8, signed into law this (last) week, becomes effective January 1, 2015. It provides new protections in the workplace for pregnant women and new mothers. This law requires specific reasonable accommodations for pregnant women including restrictions on heavy lifting, manual labor, access to places to sit, additional time to recover from pregnancies, a private space for breast feeding, and a temporary transfer to a less strenuous or hazardous position. The law also prohibits an employer from retaliating against any pregnant woman who asks for reasonable accommodations provided by the law.
ILLINOIS STRENGTHENS LAW REQUIRING GENDER EQUALITY IN PAY
House Bill 5563, signed into law this (last) week and effective January 1, 2015, amends the Illinois Equal Pay Act to streamline equal pay complaints made at the Illinois Department of Labor and allow those complaints to be referred to the Illinois Department of Human Rights. Equal Pay complaints can therefore be concurrently filed at the Department of Human Rights, and that agency will be responsible for investigating the charge of equal pay violations.
The Illinois Equal Pay Act protects women in the workplace from being paid less than their male colleagues who perform the same or substantially similar work on jobs requiring equal skill, effort, and responsibility, and performed under similar working conditions. If the employer violates the Illinois Equal Pay Act it will required to pay the amount of the underpayment, with interest, as well as costs and attorney’s fees to make the employee whole.
If you believe you may have been discriminated against or not paid a fair wage contact the employment attorneys at Maduff & Maduff today. Maduff & Maduff also represents employees in all types of employer misconduct, including discrimination and failure to pay overtime.