Legal Updates for Illinois Businesses
November 25, 2024
The new year will bring a number of changes to laws affecting employers and businesses in Illinois, including new standards for pay transparency, an increase in the statewide minimum wage, and additional discrimination protections for employees.
Under a new amendment to the Illinois Pay Act, employers with 15 or more employees must disclose pay scales and benefits in job postings. "Pay scale and benefits" include salary or wage ranges, bonuses, stock options, and health or retirement plans. Employers must share this information in postings or link to a public webpage containing the details. Internal promotions must also be disclosed to current employees within 14 days of external postings.
Updates to the Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act require employers to provide detailed pay stubs each pay period, listing hours worked, wages, deductions, and year-to-date totals. Employers must keep records for three years and respond to employee requests for pay stubs within 21 days.
The Illinois Human Rights Act now prohibits discrimination based on reproductive health decisions and caregiving responsibilities. The window for employees to file discrimination claims has been extended to two years. Employees now have two years to file discrimination claims.
Illinois will undergo its last scheduled increase in the minimum wage on January 1. The standard minimum wage will go to $15/hour, with minimums for tipped workers changing to $9 and for $13 for youths under 18 working less than 650 hours in a calendar year. This will mark the first time in several years that the Cook County minimum wage standards will match the state of Illinois requirements.
It bears repeating that many businesses are required to file Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) reports with the US Department of Treasury by December 31, 2024. Your company may need to report information about its beneficial owners if it is (1) a corporation, a limited liability company (LLC), or was otherwise created in the United States by filing a document with a secretary of state or any similar office under the law of a state or Indian tribe; or (2) a foreign company and was registered to do business in any U.S. state. Exemptions apply to publicly traded corporations, non-profits, and certain large operating companies.
Consult your HR professionals or legal counsel for more information about these and other legal updates affecting your business.