As of January 1, 2022, Illinois employers are more limited in their ability to bind employees to non-competition and non-solicitation agreements. These changes stem from a recent amendment to the Illinois Freedom to Work Act,...more
3/2/2022
/ Construction Industry ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Contract ,
Employment Litigation ,
Freedom To Work Act ,
Governor Pritzker ,
Minimum Salary ,
New Legislation ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Non-Solicitation Agreements ,
Proposed Amendments ,
State Labor Laws
According to a legal opinion posted online on July 26, 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice officially took the position that the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA)—which authorizes an “emergency use authorization” (EUA) for...more
7/29/2021
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employer Mandates ,
Employment Litigation ,
Employment Policies ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Exemptions ,
Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) ,
Vaccinations
On March 23, 2021, Governor J.B. Pritzker signed Senate Bill 1480 (SB 1480), which amends the Illinois Human Rights Act to impose robust new restrictions and obligations on employers’ use of background checks in Illinois. The...more
3/31/2021
/ Background Checks ,
Criminal Background Checks ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ,
Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) ,
Governor Pritzker ,
Human Rights Act ,
Job Applicants ,
New Legislation ,
State and Local Government ,
State Legislatures
As COVID-19 cases continue to rise locally and across the country, the state of Illinois, the city of Chicago, and Cook County continue to update their guidelines and recommendations for employers. Below is a summary of the...more
On April 3, 2020, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an updated recommendation that all workers and members of the general public should consider using non-medical face masks or face coverings to...more
“Epidemic” Versus “Pandemic”: A Distinction With A Difference -
On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) a global pandemic. Previously, the...more
Employers are rightfully concerned about what, if anything, they should be doing to respond to the continued spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), with confirmed cases in dozens of countries, including the United States. As...more
3/2/2020
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Best Practices ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Handbooks ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Foreign Nationals ,
Infectious Diseases ,
OSHA ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Traveling Employee ,
Workplace Safety
The Illinois legislature engaged in a flurry of recent activity in the area of employee protections. Included below are highlights of new employment laws in place as of January 1, 2020.
Significant Restrictions on...more
2/25/2020
/ Compensation & Benefits ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Employee Rights ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Employment Litigation ,
Human Rights Act ,
Labor Reform ,
Labor Regulations ,
Labor Relations ,
Salary/Wage History ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour