Chicago Implements Changes To Fair Workweek Rules, Which Take Effect June 1, 2026

The Chicago Office of Labor Standards (OLS) has adopted and published changes to the rules implementing the city’s Fair Workweek Ordinance. Final rules implementing this ordinance were originally issued in 2020. New rules were published May 15, 2026, however, and will take effect June 1, 2026. The more substantive changes include:

• Replacing “calendar week” with “week” and defining “week” as seven consecutive 24-hour periods (consistent with the FLSA). It may begin on any day of the week and any hour of the day.
• Clarifying how to calculate employer size, which determines whether an employer is covered under the ordinance. Specifically, the city will count the average number of global employees and covered employees (as defined by the ordinance) during a 12-month period for existing employers and 90 days for new employers.