Starting next year, Illinois will become one of three states mandating that employers provide paid time off for any reason, after Governor J.B. Pritzker signed the bill into law on Monday, the Associated Press reported.

As of January 1, Illinois-based employers will be obligated to provide paid time off to their employees based on the number of hours worked. The reason for the absence need not be explained, provided the employee notifies the employer in compliance with their reasonable standards.

Maine and Nevada are the only two states that require employers to offer earned paid time off, giving employees the liberty to determine how to utilize it. However, unlike those states, Illinois’ law is more comprehensive and doesn’t have restrictions based on the size of the business.

In contrast, 14 states and Washington, D.C. have comparable regulations mandating employers to provide paid sick leave, but the usage of such leave is confined to health-related reasons.

Illinois-based employees will accumulate one hour of paid leave for every 40 hours worked, up to a total of 40 hours, although employers may offer more. Workers can begin using this time after completing 90 days of work, as reported by the AP.

The new law will exclude seasonal employees, federal employees, and college students working non-full-time, temporary positions for their university.

Written by staff