820 ILCS 96/1-30

(820 ILCS 96/1-30)

Sec. 1-30. Settlement or termination agreements.

(a) An employee, prospective employee, or former employee and an employer may enter into a valid and enforceable settlement or termination agreement that includes promises of confidentiality related to alleged unlawful employment practices, other than future or prospective concerted activity related to workplace conditions, so long as:

(1) confidentiality is the documented preference of the employee, prospective employee, or former employee and is mutually beneficial to both parties;

(2) the employer notifies the employee, prospective employee, or former employee, in writing, of his or her right to have an attorney or representative of his or her choice review the settlement or termination agreement before it is executed;

(3) there is valid, bargained for consideration in exchange for the confidentiality separate from any consideration that is provided in exchange for a release of claims;

(4) the settlement or termination agreement does not waive any claims of unlawful employment practices that accrue after the date of execution of the settlement or termination agreement;

(5) the settlement or termination agreement is provided, in writing, to the parties to the prospective agreement and the employee, prospective employee, or former employee is given a period of 21 calendar days to consider the agreement before execution, during which the employee, prospective employee, or former employee may sign the agreement at any time, knowingly and voluntarily waiving any further time for consideration; and

(6) unless knowingly and voluntarily waived by the employee, prospective employee, or former employee, he or she has 7 calendar days following the execution of the agreement to revoke the agreement and the agreement is not effective or enforceable until the revocation period has expired.

(b) An employer may not unilaterally include any clause in a settlement or termination agreement that prohibits the employee, prospective employee, or former employee from making truthful statements or disclosures regarding unlawful employment practices or unilaterally include any clause in a settlement or termination agreement that states that the promises of confidentiality are the preference of the employee.

(c) Failure to comply with the provisions of this Section shall render any promise of confidentiality related to alleged unlawful employment practices against public policy void and severable from an otherwise valid and enforceable agreement.

(d) Nothing in this Section shall be construed to prevent a mutually agreed upon settlement or termination agreement from waiving or releasing the employee, prospective employee, or former employee's right to seek or obtain any remedies or relief of any kind relating to an unlawful employment practice claim that occurred before the date on which the agreement is executed.

(Source: P.A. 104-320, eff. 1-1-26.)