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1 | AN ACT concerning employment.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
5 | Illinois Employee Security Act. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
6 | Section 5. In this Act: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
7 | "Benefits" means the cash value of any employer-paid | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
8 | vacation leave, sick leave, medical insurance plan, disability | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
9 | insurance plan, life insurance plan, annuity, and pension | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
10 | benefit plan in effect on the date of discharge. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
11 | "Casual employee" means an employee who performs work in | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
12 | or around a private home that is irregular, uncertain, or | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
13 | incidental in nature and duration. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
14 | "Constructive discharge" means the voluntary termination | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
15 | of employment by an employee because of a situation created by | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
16 | an act or omission of the employer that an objective, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
17 | reasonable person would find so intolerable that voluntary | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
18 | termination is the only reasonable alternative.
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19 | "Department" means the Department of Employment Security. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
20 | "Discharge" means any cessation of employment, including | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
21 | constructive discharge, indefinite suspension, layoff, or | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
22 | reduction in
hours. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
23 | "Egregious misconduct" means deliberate or grossly |
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1 | negligent conduct that endangers the safety or well-being of | ||||||
2 | the individual, co-workers, customers, or other persons, | ||||||
3 | including discrimination against or harassment of co-workers, | ||||||
4 | customers, or other persons, or that causes serious damage to | ||||||
5 | the employer's or customers' property or business interests. | ||||||
6 | "Electronic monitoring" means the collection of | ||||||
7 | information
concerning worker activities, communications, | ||||||
8 | actions, biometrics, or behaviors by electronic means | ||||||
9 | including, but not limited to, video or audio surveillance, | ||||||
10 | electronic work pace tracking, and other means.
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11 | "Employ" means to suffer or permit to work. | ||||||
12 | "Employee" has the meaning given that term in Section 2 of | ||||||
13 | the Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act, but does not | ||||||
14 | include a casual employee who performs work of an irregular | ||||||
15 | nature in or around a private home. A person may be an employee | ||||||
16 | of 2 or more employers at the same time. | ||||||
17 | "Employer" has the meaning given that term in Section 2 of | ||||||
18 | the Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act. More than one | ||||||
19 | entity may be the employer of an employee, including in | ||||||
20 | circumstances where one entity controls, is controlled by, or | ||||||
21 | is under common control with another employer, or where one | ||||||
22 | entity exerts control over the operations of another employer. | ||||||
23 | An employer-employee relationship is presumed to exist when an | ||||||
24 | individual performs labor or services for an employer. The | ||||||
25 | party asserting that an individual is not an employee must | ||||||
26 | establish by a preponderance of the evidence that the |
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1 | individual is an independent contractor. | ||||||
2 | "Full-time employee" means an employee who regularly works | ||||||
3 | at least 35 hours each week. | ||||||
4 | "Just cause" means: | ||||||
5 | (1) an employee's failure to satisfactorily perform | ||||||
6 | his or her job duties or to comply with employer policies | ||||||
7 | if the employee was afforded progressive discipline; | ||||||
8 | (2) an employee's egregious misconduct; or | ||||||
9 | (3) bona fide economic reasons. | ||||||
10 | "Progressive discipline" means an employer's disciplinary | ||||||
11 | system that provides a graduated range of reasonable responses | ||||||
12 | to an employee's failure to satisfactorily perform his or her | ||||||
13 | job duties or comply with employer policies, with the | ||||||
14 | disciplinary measures ranging from mild to severe, depending | ||||||
15 | on the frequency and degree of the failure, and the employee | ||||||
16 | being afforded a reasonable period of time to address | ||||||
17 | concerns. | ||||||
18 | "Reduction in hours" means a reduction in an employee's | ||||||
19 | hours of work totaling at least 15% of the employee's weekly
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20 | work hours.
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21 | "Relator" means a current or former employee, contractor, | ||||||
22 | subcontractor, or employee of such a contractor or | ||||||
23 | subcontractor of an alleged violator of this Act, regardless | ||||||
24 | of whether that person has received full or partial relief, | ||||||
25 | who seeks relief through a public enforcement action brought | ||||||
26 | under this Act. |
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1 | "Representative organization" means a nonprofit or labor | ||||||
2 | organization selected by a relator to initiate a public | ||||||
3 | enforcement action on the relator's behalf.
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4 | "Short-term position" means employment pursuant to a | ||||||
5 | written contract that specifies that the position is to end | ||||||
6 | after a specified period of time, not to exceed 6 months, where | ||||||
7 | the employer can show that the work or need in question is | ||||||
8 | expected to end, such as in the case of a seasonal job or a job | ||||||
9 | to perform a specific project. | ||||||
10 | Section 10. Prohibition against unjust discharge. | ||||||
11 | (a) An employer shall not discharge an employee without | ||||||
12 | just cause. Just cause may not be based on off-duty conduct | ||||||
13 | unless there is a demonstrable and material nexus between the | ||||||
14 | conduct and the employee's job performance or the employer's | ||||||
15 | legitimate business interests. | ||||||
16 | (b) In determining whether an employee has been discharged | ||||||
17 | for just cause for failure to satisfactorily perform job | ||||||
18 | duties or for failure to comply with employer policies, the | ||||||
19 | fact finder shall consider, in addition to any other relevant | ||||||
20 | factors, whether: | ||||||
21 | (1) the employee knew or should have known of his or | ||||||
22 | her job duties or of the employer's policy; | ||||||
23 | (2) the employer provided relevant and adequate | ||||||
24 | training to the employee; | ||||||
25 | (3) the employer's policy was reasonable and applied
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1 | consistently; and | ||||||
2 | (4) the employer undertook a thorough, fair and | ||||||
3 | objective investigation. | ||||||
4 | (c) A discharge for failure to satisfactorily perform job | ||||||
5 | duties or comply with employer policies shall not be deemed to | ||||||
6 | be based on just cause unless the employer has used | ||||||
7 | progressive discipline. In interpreting and applying | ||||||
8 | progressive discipline, the principles developed in arbitral | ||||||
9 | precedents shall provide guidance. The time period between a | ||||||
10 | first warning or discipline and termination shall be not less | ||||||
11 | than 15 days, and the employer may not rely on a warning or | ||||||
12 | discipline issued more than one year in the past to justify a | ||||||
13 | discharge. | ||||||
14 | (d) Under progressive discipline, an employer may | ||||||
15 | discharge an employee immediately for egregious misconduct. A | ||||||
16 | finding of misconduct for purposes of unemployment insurance | ||||||
17 | eligibility shall not necessarily constitute serious | ||||||
18 | misconduct for purposes of this Act. | ||||||
19 | (e) A discharge shall not be deemed to be based on bona | ||||||
20 | fide economic reasons unless the following conditions are met:
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21 | (1) the discharge results from a reduction in | ||||||
22 | production, sales, services, profit, or funding of the | ||||||
23 | employer, or technological or organizational changes in | ||||||
24 | the employer's operations that necessitate full or partial | ||||||
25 | reduction of the employer's operations; | ||||||
26 | (2) the employees or groups of employees to be |
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1 | discharged are identified using broadly applicable | ||||||
2 | criteria that do not appear to target individuals; and | ||||||
3 | (3) the bona fide economic reasons justifying the | ||||||
4 | discharge were specified in writing to the employee at the | ||||||
5 | time of the discharge and are supported by the employer's | ||||||
6 | records. | ||||||
7 | A discharge shall be presumed not to be based on bona fide | ||||||
8 | economic reasons where the employer hired or hires another | ||||||
9 | employee to perform substantially the same work within 90 days | ||||||
10 | before or after the discharge. Elimination of staff redundancy | ||||||
11 | created by a merger or acquisition shall not be deemed a bona | ||||||
12 | fide economic
reason for discharge of employees.
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13 | (f) The employer shall within 3 days provide a written | ||||||
14 | explanation to any discharged employee of the specific reasons | ||||||
15 | for the discharge. In determining whether an employer had just | ||||||
16 | cause for discharge, a fact finder may not consider any | ||||||
17 | reasons not included in such written explanation. Where an | ||||||
18 | employer fails to provide a written explanation to a | ||||||
19 | discharged employee, the discharge shall not be deemed to be | ||||||
20 | based on just cause. All information and judgments that the | ||||||
21 | employer considered in making the determination shall be made | ||||||
22 | available to the employee or his or her representative. | ||||||
23 | (g) The employer shall bear the burden of proving just | ||||||
24 | cause including, if applicable, that the employer followed | ||||||
25 | progressive discipline, by a preponderance of non-hearsay | ||||||
26 | evidence in any proceeding brought pursuant to this Act. |
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1 | (h) In no event shall any of the following actions by an | ||||||
2 | employee constitute just cause for termination:
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3 | (1) an employee's communication about workplace | ||||||
4 | practices or policies, including but not limited to health | ||||||
5 | or safety practices or hazards related to COVID-19, to any | ||||||
6 | person, including to an employer, an employer's agent, | ||||||
7 | other employees, a government agency or the public, | ||||||
8 | including through print, online, social media, or any | ||||||
9 | other media; or | ||||||
10 | (2) an employee's refusal to work under conditions | ||||||
11 | that the employee reasonably believes would expose him or | ||||||
12 | her, other employees or the public to an unreasonable
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13 | health or safety risk, including but not limited to risk | ||||||
14 | of illness or exposure to COVID-19. | ||||||
15 | An employer shall not retaliate against any employee or | ||||||
16 | other person for such conduct. Notwithstanding any other | ||||||
17 | provision of law, such conduct shall constitute protected | ||||||
18 | conduct and may not be contractually prohibited, or subject to | ||||||
19 | civil or criminal sanction or liability. | ||||||
20 | (i) An employer must conduct its own assessment of an | ||||||
21 | employee and may not rely on worker data gathered through | ||||||
22 | electronic monitoring in discharging, disciplining, or | ||||||
23 | promoting an employee. Employment decisions must be made based | ||||||
24 | on human-based information sources such as supervisors' | ||||||
25 | assessments and documentation or consulting co-workers. An | ||||||
26 | employer must disclose in advance to employees any electronic |
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1 | monitoring or data collection at a workplace, disclose the | ||||||
2 | purposes for which the data will be used, and provide | ||||||
3 | employees meaningful opportunities to challenge any electronic | ||||||
4 | monitoring or data systems. However, data gathered through | ||||||
5 | electronic monitoring may be used in the following | ||||||
6 | circumstances: for non-employment-related purposes; for | ||||||
7 | discharging or disciplining an employee in cases of egregious | ||||||
8 | misconduct or involving threats to the health or safety of | ||||||
9 | other persons; or where required by State or federal law. | ||||||
10 | (j) Employment for a short-term position does not require | ||||||
11 | a showing of just cause for discharge, and discharge after a | ||||||
12 | short-term position does not entitle an employee to severance | ||||||
13 | pay under Section 15. A position shall not be deemed to be a | ||||||
14 | short-term position where the employer hires another employee | ||||||
15 | to perform substantially the same work within 90 days before | ||||||
16 | or after the discharge.
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17 | Section 15. Severance pay. An employee shall accrue one | ||||||
18 | hour of severance pay for every 12.5 hours worked during his or | ||||||
19 | her first year of employment, and for every 50 hours worked | ||||||
20 | thereafter. Upon discharge, the employer shall pay the | ||||||
21 | employee his or her accrued severance pay, calculated based on | ||||||
22 | the number of hours accrued multiplied by the employee's rate | ||||||
23 | of pay upon discharge. An employee who is discharged at the end | ||||||
24 | of a short-term position shall not be entitled to severance | ||||||
25 | pay. Severance pay shall be exclusive of final compensation |
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1 | due an employee upon separation under the Illinois Wage | ||||||
2 | Payment and Collection Act. For purposes of determining an | ||||||
3 | employee's years of employment tenure or seniority, multiple | ||||||
4 | periods worked for the employer and any time worked for a | ||||||
5 | predecessor employer shall be aggregated. | ||||||
6 | Section 20. Employment through day and temporary labor | ||||||
7 | services agencies. Where an employee is employed by a day and
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8 | temporary labor services agency, as defined under the Day and | ||||||
9 | Temporary Labor Services Act, to perform work for a | ||||||
10 | third-party client, as defined under that Act, both the day | ||||||
11 | and temporary labor services agency and the third-party client | ||||||
12 | shall be deemed to be the employer of the employee for the | ||||||
13 | purposes of this Act. Both shall be jointly and severally | ||||||
14 | responsible for compliance with this Act's requirements, and | ||||||
15 | neither a third-party client nor a day and temporary labor | ||||||
16 | services agency may discharge an employee employed through a | ||||||
17 | day and temporary labor services agency without just cause, | ||||||
18 | except when done at the end of a short-term position.
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19 | Section 25. Collective bargaining agreement exemption. The | ||||||
20 | requirements of this Act do not apply to employees who are | ||||||
21 | covered by a valid collective bargaining agreement. | ||||||
22 | Section 30. Retaliation prohibited. No employer or any | ||||||
23 | other person shall threaten, intimidate, discipline, |
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1 | discharge, demote, suspend, or harass an employee, reduce the | ||||||
2 | hours or pay of an employee, inform another employer that an | ||||||
3 | employee has alleged that the employer violated this Act or | ||||||
4 | any other law, discriminate against an employee, or take any | ||||||
5 | other adverse action that penalizes an employee for, or is | ||||||
6 | reasonably likely to deter an employee from, exercising or | ||||||
7 | attempting to exercise any right protected under this Act or | ||||||
8 | any other law, including informing other employees or persons | ||||||
9 | of their rights under this Act or any other law, assisting in | ||||||
10 | any way with any complaint or
investigation involving this | ||||||
11 | Act, including another workers' case, or sharing information | ||||||
12 | about workplace issues with other employees or the public, | ||||||
13 | including on social media. Threats or any other adverse action | ||||||
14 | related to perceived immigration status or work authorization | ||||||
15 | shall constitute threats or adverse actions as those terms are | ||||||
16 | used in this Section. An employee need not explicitly refer to | ||||||
17 | this Act or any other law or the rights enumerated herein to be | ||||||
18 | protected from retaliation. The protections afforded by this | ||||||
19 | Section shall apply to any person who mistakenly but in good | ||||||
20 | faith alleges violations of this Act.
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21 | Section 35. Protection of former employees from | ||||||
22 | blacklisting. An employer shall not prevent or attempt to | ||||||
23 | prevent, by word or writing of any kind, a former employee from | ||||||
24 | obtaining employment with any other employer. An employer is | ||||||
25 | not prohibited from providing by word or writing any other |
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1 | employer to whom the discharged employee has applied for | ||||||
2 | employment a truthful statement of the reason for discharge. | ||||||
3 | Section 40. Notice and posting of rights. | ||||||
4 | (a) The Department shall publish and make available | ||||||
5 | notices informing employees of their rights protected under | ||||||
6 | this Act. Employers shall post the notices in a conspicuous | ||||||
7 | location in the workplace or at any job site, and shall give a | ||||||
8 | notice to each employee at the time of hiring and on an annual | ||||||
9 | basis. The notices shall be made available in a downloadable | ||||||
10 | format on the Department's website in English, Spanish, | ||||||
11 | Polish, Mandarin, and Cantonese. | ||||||
12 | (b) In accordance with the rules of the Department, an | ||||||
13 | employer shall conspicuously post at any workplace or job site | ||||||
14 | where any employee works the notices described in subsection | ||||||
15 | (a) that apply to the particular workplace or job site. The | ||||||
16 | notices shall be in English and any language spoken as a | ||||||
17 | primary language by at least 5% of employees at that location | ||||||
18 | if the Department has made the notice available in that | ||||||
19 | language. | ||||||
20 | Section 45. Recordkeeping. | ||||||
21 | (a) Employers shall retain
records documenting their | ||||||
22 | compliance with the applicable requirements of this Act for a | ||||||
23 | period of 3 years and shall allow the Department access to such | ||||||
24 | records and other information, in accordance with applicable |
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1 | law and with appropriate notice, in furtherance of an | ||||||
2 | investigation conducted pursuant to this Act. Employers shall | ||||||
3 | report annually to the Department, and any person who requests | ||||||
4 | a copy of: | ||||||
5 | (1) the employer's total employment each year broken | ||||||
6 | down by full-time employment (defined as at least 30 hours | ||||||
7 | per week), part-time employment (defined as less than 30 | ||||||
8 | hours per week), short-term employment, and employment | ||||||
9 | through a temp or staffing agency; and | ||||||
10 | (2) the employer's total number of separations each | ||||||
11 | year broken down by whether the separation was a discharge | ||||||
12 | for cause, a discharge for bona fide economic reasons, a | ||||||
13 | separation as a result of the end of a short-term | ||||||
14 | position, an employee resignation, or an employee | ||||||
15 | retirement. | ||||||
16 | (b) An employer's failure to maintain, retain, or produce | ||||||
17 | a
record or other information required to be maintained by | ||||||
18 | this Section relevant to a material fact alleged by an | ||||||
19 | employee in a complaint brought pursuant to this Section or | ||||||
20 | requested by the Department pursuant to an investigation | ||||||
21 | creates a rebuttable presumption that such fact is true.
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22 | Section 50. Administrative implementation and enforcement. | ||||||
23 | (a) The Department shall administer and enforce the | ||||||
24 | provisions of this Act and shall, within 120 days after its | ||||||
25 | effective date, adopt rules necessary to administer and |
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1 | enforce this Act. The rules shall include the procedures for | ||||||
2 | investigations and hearings under this Act. The adoption, | ||||||
3 | amendment, or rescission of rules shall be in conformity with | ||||||
4 | the requirements of the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. | ||||||
5 | (b) An aggrieved employee or his or her duly authorized | ||||||
6 | representative may file a complaint with the Department | ||||||
7 | regarding violations by an employer of this Act or of any | ||||||
8 | implementing rules. Upon receiving a complaint or on its own | ||||||
9 | initiative, the Department shall investigate potential | ||||||
10 | violations, make a determination whether a violation has | ||||||
11 | occurred, and take appropriate action to enforce the | ||||||
12 | provisions of this Act and any implementing rules. | ||||||
13 | (c) If an employer is found by the Department to have | ||||||
14 | violated this Act or any rules adopted under this Act, the | ||||||
15 | Department shall order the following, in addition to any other | ||||||
16 | remedy provided by law:
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17 | (1) In the case of unlawful discharge, retaliation,
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18 | blacklisting, or unlawful electronic monitoring, actual | ||||||
19 | and liquidated damages payable to each aggrieved worker | ||||||
20 | equal to the greater of $10,000 or 3 times the actual | ||||||
21 | damages including, but not limited to, unpaid wages, | ||||||
22 | benefits, and other remuneration from the date of | ||||||
23 | discharge, unless an adjudicator finds that mitigating | ||||||
24 | circumstances are present, in which case the adjudicator | ||||||
25 | may order that the preceding liquidated damages amount be | ||||||
26 | reduced as circumstances make appropriate, as well as |
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1 | reinstatement, restoration of hours, other injunctive | ||||||
2 | relief (including to rectify conditions that led to | ||||||
3 | constructive discharge), punitive damages, and such other | ||||||
4 | remedies as may be appropriate. | ||||||
5 | (2) In the case of discharge where severance pay was | ||||||
6 | not provided, severance pay together with an additional 2 | ||||||
7 | times that amount as liquidated damages, and such other | ||||||
8 | remedies as may be appropriate including punitive damages. | ||||||
9 | (3) In the case of failure to provide a timely written | ||||||
10 | explanation for a discharge, injunctive relief and | ||||||
11 | liquidated damages in an amount equal to $5,000, unless an | ||||||
12 | adjudicator finds that mitigating circumstances are | ||||||
13 | present, in which case the adjudicator may order that the | ||||||
14 | preceding liquidated damage amount be reduced as | ||||||
15 | circumstances make appropriate, and such other remedies as | ||||||
16 | may be appropriate, including punitive damages. | ||||||
17 | (4) Payment of a further sum as a civil penalty in an | ||||||
18 | amount of
$10,000 for unlawful discharge, retaliation, | ||||||
19 | blacklisting, or unlawful electronic monitoring; in an | ||||||
20 | amount of $5,000
for or failure to provide a timely | ||||||
21 | written explanation for a discharge, or in an amount of | ||||||
22 | $1,000 for other violations of this Act, including the | ||||||
23 | Act's recordkeeping requirements or failure to produce | ||||||
24 | records requested in an investigation. However, if an | ||||||
25 | adjudicator finds that mitigating circumstances are | ||||||
26 | present, the adjudicator may order that the preceding |
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1 | civil penalty amounts be reduced as circumstances make | ||||||
2 | appropriate. The civil penalties imposed pursuant to this | ||||||
3 | section shall be imposed on a per employee and per | ||||||
4 | instance basis for each violation. | ||||||
5 | (5) Reasonable attorney's fees, expert fees, and other | ||||||
6 | costs.
For the purposes of this provision, a complainant | ||||||
7 | shall be deemed to have prevailed and entitled to an award | ||||||
8 | of fees and costs if commencement of a complaint has acted | ||||||
9 | as a catalyst to effect policy change on the part of the | ||||||
10 | respondent, regardless of whether that change has been | ||||||
11 | implemented voluntarily, as a result of a settlement, or | ||||||
12 | as a result of a judgment in such party's favor. | ||||||
13 | (6) In assessing an appropriate remedy, due | ||||||
14 | consideration shall be given to the gravity of the | ||||||
15 | violation, the history of previous violations, and the | ||||||
16 | good faith of the employer. | ||||||
17 | (7) All amounts specified in this Act shall be | ||||||
18 | adjusted annually to keep pace with the rising cost of | ||||||
19 | living as measured by the annual increase in the Consumer | ||||||
20 | Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), as calculated | ||||||
21 | by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States | ||||||
22 | Department of Labor. | ||||||
23 | (8) Either party may bring an administrative appeal to | ||||||
24 | enforce,
vacate, or modify the order, determination, or | ||||||
25 | other disposition of the Department. | ||||||
26 | (9) No procedure or remedy set forth in this Section |
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1 | is exclusive or a prerequisite for asserting a claim for | ||||||
2 | relief to enforce any rights under this Act in a court of | ||||||
3 | law. | ||||||
4 | (10) An employer who has been ordered by the | ||||||
5 | Department or ordered by a court to pay back pay unpaid | ||||||
6 | back pay, front pay and benefits, liquidated or punitive | ||||||
7 | damages, or civil penalties, and who fails to seek timely | ||||||
8 | review of such a demand or order as provided for under this | ||||||
9 | Act and who fails to comply within 15 calendar days after | ||||||
10 | such demand or within 35 days of an administrative or | ||||||
11 | court order is entered shall also be liable to pay a | ||||||
12 | penalty to the Department of 20% of the amount found owing | ||||||
13 | and a penalty to the employee of 1% per calendar day of the | ||||||
14 | amount found owing for each day of delay in paying such | ||||||
15 | wages to the employee. All moneys recovered as fees and | ||||||
16 | civil penalties under this Act, except those owing to the | ||||||
17 | affected employee, shall be deposited into the Wrongful | ||||||
18 | Discharge Enforcement Fund, a special fund which is hereby | ||||||
19 | created in the State treasury. Moneys in the Fund may be | ||||||
20 | used only for enforcement of this Act.
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21 | Section 55. Civil action. Except as otherwise provided by | ||||||
22 | law, any person claiming to be aggrieved by an employer's | ||||||
23 | violation of this Act has a cause of action in any court and, | ||||||
24 | upon prevailing, shall be awarded the relief specified in | ||||||
25 | Section 50 and, if the court finds in favor of the plaintiff, |
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1 | it shall award such prevailing party, in addition to other | ||||||
2 | relief, his or her reasonable attorney's fees, expert fees, | ||||||
3 | and other costs. As used in this Section, "prevailing" party | ||||||
4 | includes a party whose commencement of litigation has acted as | ||||||
5 | a catalyst to effect policy change on the part of the | ||||||
6 | defendant, regardless of whether that change has been | ||||||
7 | implemented voluntarily, as a result of a settlement, or as a | ||||||
8 | result of a judgment in such party's favor. Penalties and fees | ||||||
9 | under this Act may be assessed by the Department and recovered | ||||||
10 | in a civil action brought by the Department in any circuit | ||||||
11 | court or in any administrative adjudicative proceeding under | ||||||
12 | this Act. In any such civil action or administrative | ||||||
13 | adjudicative proceeding under this Act, the Department shall | ||||||
14 | be represented by the Attorney General. | ||||||
15 | Section 60. Public enforcement action. A relator or | ||||||
16 | representative organization may initiate a public enforcement | ||||||
17 | action in any court to pursue civil penalties, injunctive | ||||||
18 | relief, and declaratory relief, as specified in Section 50, on | ||||||
19 | behalf of the Department, for a violation of the provisions of | ||||||
20 | this Act affecting the relator and other current or former | ||||||
21 | employees, according to the following procedures: | ||||||
22 | (a) The relator or representative organization shall | ||||||
23 | give written notice to the Department of the specific | ||||||
24 | provisions of this Act alleged to have been violated, | ||||||
25 | including the facts and theories to support the alleged |
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1 | violation. The notice shall be given in such a
manner as | ||||||
2 | the Department may prescribe by rule. | ||||||
3 | (b) If the Department intends to investigate the | ||||||
4 | alleged violation, it shall notify the relator or | ||||||
5 | representative organization of its decision within 65 | ||||||
6 | calendar days of the postmark date of the notice. Within | ||||||
7 | 60 calendar days of that decision, the Department may | ||||||
8 | investigate the alleged violation and take any enforcement | ||||||
9 | action authorized by law. If the Department determines | ||||||
10 | that additional time is necessary to complete the | ||||||
11 | investigation, it may extend the time by not more than 60 | ||||||
12 | additional calendar days and shall notify the relator or | ||||||
13 | representative organization of the extension. | ||||||
14 | (c) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a | ||||||
15 | public enforcement action brought under this Act must be | ||||||
16 | commenced within the limitations period specified in | ||||||
17 | Section 65. The statute of limitations for bringing a | ||||||
18 | public enforcement action under this Act shall be tolled | ||||||
19 | from the date a relator or representative organization | ||||||
20 | files a notice under Section 55 with the Department, or | ||||||
21 | the Department commences an investigation, whichever is | ||||||
22 | earlier. | ||||||
23 | (d) The relator or representative organization may | ||||||
24 | commence a civil action under this Act if the Department | ||||||
25 | determines that no enforcement action will be taken, or if | ||||||
26 | no enforcement action is taken by the Department within |
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1 | the time limits prescribed. | ||||||
2 | (e) The Department may intervene in an action brought | ||||||
3 | under this Act and proceed with any and all claims in the | ||||||
4 | action as of right within 30 days after the filing of the | ||||||
5 | action, or for
good cause, as determined by the court, at | ||||||
6 | any time after the 30-day period after the filing of the | ||||||
7 | action. | ||||||
8 | (f) Civil penalties recovered in a public enforcement | ||||||
9 | action brought under this Act shall be distributed as | ||||||
10 | follows:
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11 | (1) If the Department does not intervene in the | ||||||
12 | action, 60% to the Department, and 40% to the relator | ||||||
13 | or representative organization, to be distributed to | ||||||
14 | the employees affected by the violation, including a | ||||||
15 | service award that reflects the burdens and risks | ||||||
16 | assumed by the employee or representative organization | ||||||
17 | in prosecuting the action. | ||||||
18 | (2) If the Department does intervene in the | ||||||
19 | action, 70% to the Department, and 30% to the relator | ||||||
20 | or representative organization, to be distributed to | ||||||
21 | the employees affected by the violation, including a | ||||||
22 | service award that reflects the burdens and risks | ||||||
23 | assumed by the employee or representative organization | ||||||
24 | in prosecuting the action. | ||||||
25 | (3) The share of penalties recovered for the | ||||||
26 | Department under this Act shall be used solely to |
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1 | support the Department's education and enforcement | ||||||
2 | activities, with approximately 25% of these penalties | ||||||
3 | reserved for grants to community organizations for | ||||||
4 | outreach and education about employee rights under | ||||||
5 | this Act.
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6 | (g) In any public enforcement action commenced under | ||||||
7 | this Act, the court shall allow a prevailing relator or | ||||||
8 | representative organization to recover all reasonable | ||||||
9 | attorneys' fees, expert fees,
and other costs. As used in | ||||||
10 | this provision, a "prevailing" relator or representative | ||||||
11 | organization includes a relator or representative | ||||||
12 | organization whose commencement of litigation has acted as | ||||||
13 | a catalyst to effect policy change on the part of the | ||||||
14 | defendant, regardless of whether that change has been | ||||||
15 | implemented voluntarily, as a result of a settlement, or | ||||||
16 | as a result of a judgment in such relator or | ||||||
17 | representative organization's favor. | ||||||
18 | (h) No public enforcement action brought under this | ||||||
19 | Act shall be required to meet class action certification | ||||||
20 | requirements under Part 8 of Article II of the Code of | ||||||
21 | Civil Procedure or Rule 23(a) of the Federal Rules of | ||||||
22 | Civil Procedure. | ||||||
23 | (i) The relator or representative organization may not | ||||||
24 | recover compensatory damages or back pay, or seek | ||||||
25 | reinstatement, in a public enforcement action. But the | ||||||
26 | filing of a public enforcement action does not preclude an |
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1 | employee from pursuing these remedies in another forum. | ||||||
2 | (j) The right to bring a public enforcement action | ||||||
3 | under this Act shall not be impaired by any private | ||||||
4 | contract. | ||||||
5 | Section 65. Limitation of actions. Notwithstanding any | ||||||
6 | other provision of law, an action under this Act must be filed | ||||||
7 | within 3 years after the complainant knew or should have known | ||||||
8 | of the alleged violation. This limitation period shall be | ||||||
9 | tolled for the duration of any state of emergency declared by | ||||||
10 | the State or by any city or county in which the action is | ||||||
11 | commenced. | ||||||
12 | Section 70. Exemptions and non-preemption. This Act does | ||||||
13 | not: | ||||||
14 | (1) Apply to any employee who is covered by a valid | ||||||
15 | collective bargaining agreement if such agreement | ||||||
16 | expressly waives the provisions of this Act and provides | ||||||
17 | comparable or superior protections for employees. | ||||||
18 | (2) Preempt, limit, or otherwise affect the | ||||||
19 | applicability of any provisions of any other law, rule, | ||||||
20 | requirement, policy, or standard, other than a collective | ||||||
21 | bargaining agreement, that provides comparable or superior | ||||||
22 | protections for employees to those provided in this Act. | ||||||
23 | Section 75. Violations. An employer that violates this Act |
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1 | is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor. | ||||||
2 | Section 80. Applicability. This Act applies to | ||||||
3 | disciplinary and discharge actions one year after the | ||||||
4 | effective date of this Act. | ||||||
5 | Section 95. Severability. The provisions of this Act are | ||||||
6 | severable under Section 1.31 of the Statute on Statutes. | ||||||
7 | Section 97. The State Finance Act is amended by adding | ||||||
8 | Section 5.935 as follows: | ||||||
9 | (30 ILCS 105/5.935 new) | ||||||
10 | Sec. 5.935. The Wrongful Discharge Enforcement Fund.
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11 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect January | ||||||
12 | 1, 2022.
|