It just got a lot easier to be sick for employees in Cook County. Of course, things are not quite as rosy for Cook County employers. Following the lead of the City of Chicago, the Cook County Board approved an ordinance which will provide earned paid sick leave to all employees in Cook County. The measure takes effect July 1, 2017.
The measure mirrors the one passed in June by the city of Chicago and provides employees with one hour of paid sick time for every 40 hours worked. Employees can earn up to five paid sick days annually.
Which employers are covered?
An employer of one or more employees who has a principal place of business in Cook County or which does business within Cook County will have to provide the leave.
Which employees are covered?
Any employee who, within a two-week period, works for two hours while within Cook County and is employed for at least 80 hours within a 120-day period will be covered.
When does the Paid Sick Leave Apply?
Covered employees can begin to use the leave on their 180th calendar day of employment, about 6 months after their start date. If an Employee entitled to leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act, they can “carry over” up to 40 hours of unused sick leave, in addition to the allowable 20 hours.
One caveat to all this is the fact that while the ordinance applies to all employees within Cook County, including unincorporated areas, it may be blocked in certain municipalities through exercise of their home rule powers. We are monitoring developments.
Should you have any questions about paid sick leave or any other laws that may affect your business, please contact Waltz, Palmer & Dawson, LLC at (847) 253-8800.
Waltz, Palmer & Dawson, LLC is a full-service law firm with various areas of service to assist your business, including: Employment Law, Intellectual Property, Commercial Real Estate, Business Immigration, Litigation and general Business Law services. Individual services include Estate Planning, Wills and Trusts, Probate, Guardianship, Divorce and Family Law.
This article constitutes attorney advertising. The material is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.