Illinois leave requirements

by Stuart R. Buttrick, Taylor L. Lindauer, Lindsey M. Hogan, Alexander E. Preller, Stacey Smiricky and Aaron T. Vance, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

Illinois employers face a wide range of state and local employee leave requirements, making compliance a critical responsibility for HR teams and people managers. This comprehensive guide is designed to help HR professionals, employers, and compliance leaders understand and manage Illinois leave of absence laws with confidence.

Covering mandatory leaves such as family military leave, pregnancy leave and accommodations, kin care, bereavement and child extended bereavement leave, school visitation leave, domestic violence and crime victim leave, jury duty, voting, military service, and paid leave for any reason, the guide provides detailed, practical explanations of employer coverage, employee eligibility, notice and documentation obligations, compensation, reinstatement rights, and prohibited actions. It also addresses specialized requirements for day and temporary workers, funeral honors detail leave, and available organ and bone marrow donor leave tax credits.

In addition, the guide explains how Illinois leave laws interact with other employment laws and workplace policies, outlines enforcement risks and penalties, and highlights key HR action steps. Coverage of local requirements, including Chicago paid leave and paid sick and safe leave, ensures employers stay informed of city‑level obligations alongside statewide rules.

Whether you are developing policies, responding to leave requests, or training managers, this resource serves as a reliable reference for navigating Illinois employee leave compliance today and preparing for future developments.

In this guide, learn about:

• Leaves of absence
  • Illinois Day and Temporary Labor Services Act
• Family and ledical leave
  • Family military leave
  • Pregnancy leave and accommodation
  • Kin care leave
• Family bereavement leave
  • Employer coverage
  • Employee eligibility
  • Use of leave
  • Employee notice and documentation requirements
  • Prohibited actions
  • Enforcement and penalties
• Child extended bereavement leave
  • Covered employers
  • Eligible employees
  • Use of leave
  • Employee notice and documentation requirements
  • Reinstatement
  • Prohibited actions
  • Enforcement and penalties
  • Interaction with other laws and policies
• School visitation leave
  • Employer coverage
  • Employee eligibility
  • Employee notice and documentation requirements
  • Compensation and benefits
  • Prohibited actions
  • Enforcement and penalties
• Blood and organ donor leave
  • Employee eligibility
  • Use of leave
  • Blood donor leave policy
  • Employee notice and documentation requirements
• Domestic violence and crime victim leave
  • Leave and reinstatement rights
  • Other leave benefits
  • Employee notice and documentation requirements
  • Employer posting requirements
  • Prohibited actions
  • Enforcement and penalties
• Jury duty leave
• Witness leave
• Voting leave
• Election official leave
• Military leave
  • Civil Air Patrol leave
• Emergency responder leave
• Organ and bone marrow donor leave tax credit
• Paid leave
  • Covered employers
  • Eligible employees
  • Qualifying reasons for leave
  • Accrual, use and carryover of leave
  • Frontloading
  • Compensation
  • Changes in employment
  • Employee notice and documentation requirements
  • Employer notice and posting requirements
  • Recordkeeping requirements
  • Prohibited actions
  • Interaction with other laws and policies
  • Enforcement and penalties
• Funeral honors detail leave
  • Employer coverage
  • Employee eligibility
  • Purpose and length of leave
  • Employee notice and documentation requirements
  • Compensation and benefits
  • Reinstatement
  • Prohibited actions
• Training
• Local requirements
  • Chicago paid leave and paid sick and safe leave
• Future developments

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