Springfield, IL — Legislation supposed to guard workers from retaliatory conduct by employers, in addition to strengthen present protections below Illinois state legislation, is awaiting approval from Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D).
Passed by the Senate (44-15) on May 23 and the House (71-38) on May 14, the bill additionally would codify the authority of the Workplace Rights Bureau to research and maintain accountable employers who retaliate or threaten to retaliate towards staff, in line with a press launch from the Office of the Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul.
Sen. Cristina Castro (D-Elgin) and Rep. Marcus C. Evans Jr. (D-Chicago) are sponsors of the bill.
Specifically, the bill would:
- Broaden the scope of conduct protected below the Illinois Whistleblower Act to guard workers who report violations of the legislation or threats to public well being and security on to their employer.
- Expand the definition of retaliation to incorporate blacklisting an worker from future alternatives and immigration-based retaliation.
- Provide specific statutory authority to the legal professional basic’s workplace to sue employers who retaliate or threaten retaliation towards staff.
Under the bill, workers could possibly be awarded curiosity on again pay of 9% for every year as much as 90 calendar days from the date a criticism is filed, together with liquidated damages and a civil penalty as much as $10,000 every.
“We must encourage workers to step up and report dangerous or unlawful practices,” Raoul stated within the launch. “Currently, workers who want to assert their basic workplace rights risk losing their livelihood and ability to provide for themselves and their families. For some immigrant workers, asserting their rights means risking their ability to remain in the United States.”
