New year means new employment laws for 2023! If you are a business owner, now is the time to take a look at the new laws that went into effect at the beginning of the year. Here is a quick rundown of the laws you should know. 

Minimum Wage

  • Minimum wage in Illinois has increased to $13 per hour for non-tipped employees. The minimum wage for tipped employees is $7.80 for employers with 4 or more employees. 

Employee Breaks

  • For employees who work more than 20 hours per week, if they are scheduled a 7.5 hour shift or more, they are entitled to a 20 minute meal break that must begin no later than 5 hours into their shift.
  • Along with the above, employers are required to provide additional 20 minute meal breaks for every 4.5 continuous hours worked after the first 7.5 hour shift. So if your employees work 12 hour shifts or more, make sure they’re getting adequate breaks.
  • The One Day Rest In Seven Act calls for employees to receive at least 24 hours of consecutive rest during each calendar week.

Equal Pay Requirements

  • If you are an employer in Illinois with over 100 employees, pay attention to the changes to the Equal Pay Act. Changes include requiring businesses with over 100 employees to obtain an equal pay registration certificate. 

Sexual Harassment Training

  • This one isn’t new, but just a reminder that in Illinois, employers are required to provide sexual harassment prevention training on an annual basis. 

Hair Discrimination

  • The Illinois CROWN Act stands for Create a Respectful and Open Workplace for Natural Hair, which protects from discrimination against hairstyles that are historically associated with specific racial groups. This includes dreadlocks, natural hair textures, braids, twists, and protective hairstyles.

If you have questions about any of the new laws or if you’re not sure they apply to your business, please let us know! There are more new employment laws in 2023 so please check what’s new and what applies to your business. As always, we are here to help.

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Disclaimer: This article is intended to serve as a general summary of the issues outlined therein. While this article may include general guidance, it is not intended as, nor is a substitute for, qualified legal advice. Your review or receipt of this article by Lexern Law Offices, Ltd. (the “LLG”) or any of its attorneys does not create an attorney-client relationship between you and the LLG. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors of the article and does not reflect the opinion of the LLG.