It is getting increasingly complicated to be sick for employees and employers in Cook County. Echoing the City of Chicago, the Cook County Board approved an ordinance last October which was designed to provide paid sick leave to all employees in Cook County. The measure takes effect July 1, 2017. The measure provides employees with one hour of paid sick time for every 40 hours worked. Employees can earn up to five paid sick days annually.
Various municipalities voiced objections immediately and passed ordinances which trump the application of the Cook County rule. As of March 8, 2017 the following municipalities have passed ordinances that opt out of the county ordinance:
Barrington
Bedford Park
Mount Prospect
Oak Forest
Rosemont
Tinley Park
A similar measure is currently under consideration in Schaumburg. More municipalities, particularly those on the borders of other counties, will likely follow suit before July.
What does this mean for employers?
An employer of one or more employees who has a principle place of business in Cook County or which does business within Cook County will have to provide the leave, unless they are located in a municipality that opts out of the ordinance. But see below for covered employees.
What does this mean for employees?
Any employee who, within a two-week period, works for two hours while within those sections of Cook County that have not opted out of the ordinance and is employed for at least 80 hours within a 120-day period will be covered.
When does the Paid Sick Leave Apply?
Under the ordinance, 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 is 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. We will continuing to monitor developments.
Should you have any questions about paid sick leave or any other laws that may affect your business, or would like to schedule a free initial consultation, please contact Waltz, Palmer & Dawson, LLC at (847)253-8800 or contact us online.
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.
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