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ARTICLE · 05 JANUARY 2024

Illinois' Paid Leave For All Workers Act – Learn Your Rules

Ford Harrison LLP
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Executive Summary: In March 2023, the Illinois Legislature enacted the Paid Leave for All Workers Act (PLAW Act), which becomes effective January 1, 2024.

United StatesEmployment and HR
Kimberly Ross
Kimberly Ross
Douglass R. Nolan
Douglass R. Nolan
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Executive Summary: In March 2023, the Illinois Legislature enacted the Paid Leave for All Workers Act (PLAW Act), which becomes effective January 1, 2024. This law requires, with a few exceptions, "an employee who works in Illinois" to be eligible to earn "up to a minimum 40 hours of paid leave" in a 12-month period. The paid leave can be used for "any reason." In November 2023, the Illinois Department of Labor ("IDOL") released its Proposed Rules for the PLAW Act, which as of publication of this Alert, have not yet been passed.

As discussed below, in some cases, there are still several aspects of this law that remain subject to differing interpretations and/or appear to be inconsistent with other laws. Other aspects require warnings to the unwary employer. For now, despite the inconsistencies, employers must still implement the PLAW Act requirements on or before January 1, 2024. Perhaps the most significant proposed rule, which employers should act

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