The St. Louis Labor Tribune shares the good news that a New bill in Illinois will require all employers to provide paid time off….
A new bill that has passed both houses of the Illinois Legislature will require all employers to provide at least five paid days off a year to be used for any reason.
Senate Bill 208 was revived in the lame-duck session in early January where it has quickly passed both the state House and Senate. Under the bill, all employers will be required to provide employees with a minimum of 40 hours or five days’ paid leave per year to be used for any reason.
Also in the bill:
- Workers would begin to earn paid leave on the first day of employment at a rate of one hour for every 40 hours worked.
- Employers must allow them to begin using paid leave after 90 days of employment, though they may allow it earlier.
- Employers may still require employees to provide notice before taking the paid time off.
- Unused paid leave must carry over annually, up to 40 hours a year. However, employers are not required to cash out the balance of a departing employee’s paid leave.
- Violations of the act will be subject to fines and compensatory damages for the employee.
Meanwhile in Missouri, the state legislature is debating a bill to reduce unemployment benefits to 8 weeks according to the News Tribune.
Sen. Mike Bernskoetter, R-Jefferson City, is carrying legislation in the Missouri Senate to bring the minimum number of weeks the state would pay unemployment benefits from 13 to eight and tie the duration an unemployed worker could draw down benefits to the state’s average unemployment rate. The bill, SB 21, received a committee hearing Jan. 25 but hasn’t moved from there.
(graphic via clipart-library.com)
