Stephen Pauwels ESS Practice Attorney

On April 15, 2024, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued its Pregnant Workers’ Fairness Act Final Rule, scheduled to take effect on June 18, 2024. The Final Rule largely leaves in place the expansive protections for applicants and employees outlined in the Proposed Rule published on August 11, 2023.

Illinois Governor Jay Pritzker signed into law the Paid Leave for All Workers Act , making Illinois the third state that allows employees to take paid time off from work for any reason.

The Seattle City Council became the first U.S. jurisdiction to identify caste as a protected class under its Human Rights Code on February 21, 2023, when it passed CB 120511, “An Ordinance Relating to Human Rights; Including Protections Against Discrimination Based on an Individual’s Caste.”

Illinois employers will face a host of new requirements in 2023. This Update summarizes aspects of the new labor and employment landscape in Illinois.