Wage Theft Ordinance and Other Worker Protection Laws Now in Effect
Following the passage of Mayor Lightfoot’s bold Chi Biz Strong Initiative earlier this year, the Chicago Office of Labor Standards is proud to announce that new worker protection laws are now in effect! These protections add to Chicago’s existing labor laws to ensure that workers are front and center as we continue recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. The new initiatives are as follows:
Wage Theft Ordinance
Almost $400 million in wages are stolen from Chicagoland workers by bad-faith employers every year. Now, under Chicago’s first Wage Theft Ordinance, the Office of Labor Standards has new authority to hold business accountable if they fail to pay their workers for hours or shifts worked. Potential violations can range up to $1,000 per offense per day.
$15 Minimum Wage for Domestic Workers
All Chicago domestic workers, no matter the size of their employer, are now guaranteed a $15.00 per hour minimum wage. Domestic workers are among the most vulnerable workers and this new measure ensures that they have have access to the full minimum wage earlier than had been previously guaranteed.
Paid Sick Leave Enhancements
Access to sufficient paid sick leave is a fundamental right for workers and a pillar of Chicago’s landmark labor laws. Now, this critical ordinance has been enhanced to allow all workers to use accrued paid sick leave for additional reasons, including to care for a family member with a closed school or place of care, to comply with public health orders, and for mental and behavioral health.
Chain Business Workers
Chicago’s Minimum Wage Ordinance requires workers at large employers (21 or more employees) to be paid at least $15.00 an hour, while workers at small employers (4-20 employees) are paid $14.00. The new initiative Chi Biz Strong package ensures that chain business workers are paid the minimum wage that they deserve by clarifying that all workers at a chain business count towards the size of the business.
In order to help businesses and workers navigate the Wage Theft Ordinance and the other worker protection laws that just came into effect, BACP’s Office of Labor Standards will host two webinars next week. Webinars will be held on Thursday, August 12 at 10:00 am in English and 2:00 pm in Spanish. Register and learn more at chicago.gov/laborstandards.
Any worker that believes their employer is violating these or any other of Chicago’s labor laws are encouraged to file a complaint by calling 3-1-1, using the CHI 3-1-1 app or by filing a Complaint Form at chicago.gov/laborstandards. Complaint forms are available in multiple languages. For more information about Chicago’s labor laws, visit chicago.gov/laborstandards.