Illinois Labor Laws set clear baselines for pay, time off, safety, and fair treatment. If you work in Illinois—full-time, part-time, hourly, or salaried—understanding these rules helps you spot problems early and assert your rights confidently.
Minimum wage and overtime: what you’re owed
As of January 1, 2025, the statewide minimum wage is $15.00/hour for most workers aged 18+. Employers may pay a lower cash wage to tipped employees—generally 60% of the state minimum—so long as tips make up the difference each pay period. New hires 18+ can be paid a slightly reduced training wage for the first 90 days, and younger workers have separate rules. Overtime is at least 1.5× your regular rate for over 40 hours in a workweek, with limited exemptions.
Local rates can be higher. Large cities and counties may set stronger standards. Chicago’s city minimum wage, for example, routinely exceeds the state floor. Always check your city’s current rules in addition to state law.
Paid leave you can actually use
Illinois’ Paid Leave for All Workers Act guarantees most employees can earn up to 40 hours of paid leave per year—and you can use it for any reason. You accrue 1 hour for every 40 hours worked, and your employer can’t demand a reason for your request. Accrual or frontloading is allowed, and certain categories of workers are excluded.
Chicago and Cook County offer more.
- Chicago requires up to 10 days (80 hours) total each year—5 days of Paid Leave for any reason plus 5 days of Paid Sick Leave—with accrual at 1 hour per 35 hours worked for each bucket. Coverage generally applies if you work at least 80 hours in any 120-day period inside city limits.
- Cook County also mandates paid leave (any reason) at 1 hour per 40 hours worked, up to 40 hours annually.
Meal breaks and a guaranteed day of rest
Under the One Day Rest in Seven Act (ODRISA), you’re entitled to:
- At least 24 consecutive hours of rest every calendar week, and
- A 20-minute meal break for shifts of 7.5 hours or more, starting no later than 5 hours after your shift begins. You get an additional 20-minute meal break for every additional 4.5 continuous hours. Recent amendments added anti-retaliation protections and stronger enforcement.
Final paychecks, deductions, and vacation payout
Illinois’ Wage Payment and Collection Act sets clear rules on when and how you’re paid:
- Final compensation (including wages, earned bonuses/commissions, and unused, earned vacation if promised by policy/contract) must be paid by your next regular payday after separation.
- Employers cannot make deductions from wages without your knowing, voluntary consent (or as otherwise allowed by law).
Equal pay, pay transparency, and discrimination deadlines
Illinois bars unequal pay for substantially similar work and now requires pay scale and benefits in most job postings for employers with 15+ employees. That pay transparency mandate took effect Jan 1, 2025.
If you face discrimination, harassment, or retaliation, the Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR) now allows up to two years from the incident to file most non-housing charges (effective Jan 1, 2025). That’s a major expansion from the prior 300-day limit.
Safety on the job: who enforces what
Illinois operates a public-sector OSHA plan that covers state and local government employees. Private-sector workers are covered by federal OSHA. If you’re private sector, you report unsafe conditions to federal OSHA; public employees report to Illinois OSHA.
Organizing, collective bargaining, and “right-to-work”
In 2022, Illinois voters approved the Workers’ Rights Amendment, adding to the state constitution a fundamental right to organize and bargain collectively. It also prohibits future state “right-to-work” laws that would otherwise restrict union security agreements. This is a unique, durable protection for Illinois workers.
Non-compete and non-solicit agreements
The Illinois Freedom to Work Act severely limits restrictive covenants. Non-compete agreements are generally unenforceable for employees earning under $75,000/year (indexed to rise in future years), and non-solicitation covenants are restricted below $45,000/year. Employers must also provide notice and time to review. If you’re asked to sign a restrictive covenant, check your earnings threshold and seek advice.
Protections for survivors of violence
Under VESSA (Victims’ Economic Security and Safety Act), eligible employees (or family/household members of survivors) can take job-protected, unpaid leave—up to 12 weeks depending on employer size—to seek medical help, legal assistance, safety planning, or counseling. Employers must also provide reasonable accommodations for safety.
How to take action if something seems off?
- Document everything. Keep pay stubs, schedules, time records, handbooks, and emails.
- Talk to HR (when safe) and reference the specific policy or statute.
- File a complaint with the Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL) for wage, overtime, leave, or break violations; use IDHR for discrimination/harassment/retaliation. For safety issues, contact federal OSHA (private sector) or Illinois OSHA (public sector).
Key takeaways at a glance
- State minimum wage: $15.00/hour; overtime after 40 hours/week. Tipped cash wage rules apply.
- Paid time off: 40 hours statewide for any reason; Chicago = 10 days (5 paid leave + 5 paid sick), Cook County = 40 hours.
- Breaks & rest: 20-minute meal break(s) and a weekly day of rest, with anti-retaliation protections.
- Final pay & vacation: Due by next regular payday; earned vacation must be paid out if promised.
- Fairness & transparency: Pay-range disclosures in job postings (15+ employees) and two-year IDHR filing window.
- Safety: Federal OSHA covers private sector; Illinois OSHA covers public sector.
- Organizing: Constitutional right to collective bargaining; no “right-to-work” laws in Illinois.
Final word:
Keep your own records, learn your city’s add-on rules, and don’t wait to raise concerns—Illinois Labor Laws are designed to be used.
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