Note: The video in the player above is from a previous report.
Workers across Cook County will receive at least one week of paid leave a year under a measure echoing Illinois' Paid Leave for All Workers Act.
The Cook County Paid Leave Ordinance, which went into effect Dec. 31, 2023, mandates that employers provide one hour of paid leave for every 40 hours worked. Employees are covered by the ordinance if they work in Cook County or if their employer has a business within the county, according to a news release.
The ordinance provides additional flexibility for employees to take time off in contrast to the Earned Sick Leave Ordinance, the measure it replaced. While changes to paid leave became effective late last year, Cook County won't begin enforcement of the ordinance until Feb. 1.
Chicago, too, has passed a paid leave ordinance, though it has yet to take effect.
The City Council in November approved what it described as "the most progressive paid time off legislation at the municipal level in the United States." The legislation guarantees up to five days of paid time off and five days of sick time for all workers.
The city's ordinance already mandates that all Chicago businesses provide paid sick leave to employees and any employee who works at least 80 hours for an employer in Chicago within any 120-day period is covered. Under the measure, for every 40 hours worked, an employee accrues one hour of paid sick leave, up to 40 hours.
Local
The City Council in mid-December passed a "trailer ordinance" amending its paid time off rules to "provide additional implementation time and flexibility for employers." That ordinance shifted the effective date of the new rules to July 1, 2024, so employers could have "an additional six months to understand, prepare for, and implement the new law."
Unlike similar bills elsewhere, paid leave legislation in Illinois and Cook County requires that employers allow time off to be used for any reason — not just for health reasons.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
The statewide measure doesn't permit employees to begin using their time until around the three-month mark.
Starting on March 31, 2024, or 90 days after they begin their employment, workers can begin using their earned time off for any reason without the requirement of providing documentation to their employer, according to the Illinois Department of Labor.
While most employees are covered, there are some exceptions.
Seasonal workers, such as lifeguards, will be exempt, as will federal employees or college students who work non-full-time, temporary jobs for their university.
