Illinois Workers Celebrate Passage of Paid Leave Legislation

Nearly 6.5  million Illinois workers will now be entitled to earn a minimum amount of paid leave, following passage of the Paid Leave for All Workers Act, SB208 HA4, by the Illinois Legislature on January 10, 2023.

The Paid Leave for All Workers Act entitles employees to earn 1 hour of paid leave for every 40 hours worked, up to a minimum of 40 hours each year. Employees can use paid leave off for any reason, including their own illness or that of a family member, to attend medical appointments, to manage needs related to domestic or sexual violence, or simply to go to a ball game or spend time with family and friends. Of course, employers may offer their workers more leave than that provided by this legislation. The Act, which was sponsored in the Illinois House by Rep. Jehan Gordon Booth and in the Illinois Senate by Senator Kimberly Lightford, covers both full-time and part-time employees.

The Shriver Center on Poverty Law, in partnership with the Illinois Paid Sick Days Coalition, had championed the bill.

“This legislation is an important step in ensuring that all workers in Illinois, regardless of how much they earn, the industry they work in, or where in the state they live, will have access to at least a minimum amount of paid leave,” said Wendy Pollack, Women’s Law & Policy Initiative Director at the Shriver Center. “I thank our legislative sponsors and our coalition partners for making this happen. The Shriver Center will continue our work to make our workplaces fair and equitable for all workers.”

Learn more about our work to protect workers with low-wages.