Illinois Employment Law

The Illinois Human Rights Act is one of the most comprehensive state anti-discrimination statutes in the country. It prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of an extensive list of protected classes including race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age (40+), marital status, disability, military status, sexual orientation, gender identity, unfavorable military discharge, order of protection status, citizenship status, arrest record, conviction record (with limitations), genetic information, pregnancy, and reproductive health decisions. For harassment claims, the IHRA covers all employers with one or more employees; for other discrimination claims, the threshold is 15 employees. Recent amendments allow employees to file directly in court without first filing a charge with the Illinois Department of Human Rights.

The Chicago Human Rights Ordinance prohibits employment discrimination and covers employers with as few as 1 employee, providing broader coverage than both federal and Illinois state law. It includes an expansive list of protected classes such as source of income, credit history, and criminal history. The ordinance is enforced by the Chicago Commission on Human Relations.

The Chicago Fair Workweek Ordinance requires predictive scheduling for workers in specific industries including building services, healthcare, hotels, manufacturing, restaurants, retail, and warehouse services. Employers with 100 or more employees globally (250 for nonprofits) must provide advance notice of work schedules and compensate workers for last-minute schedule changes.

The Cook County Human Rights Ordinance prohibits employment discrimination in unincorporated Cook County and in municipalities that have opted in to the ordinance. It covers employers with 1 or more employees and includes protections for criminal history, source of income, and order of protection status. The ordinance is enforced by the Cook County Commission on Human Rights.