Illinois 2025 Employment Law Wrap-Up: Essential Updates for Employers – Jackson Lewis

Analysis of Recent Illinois Employment Legislation and Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Military Leave Act

This legislation advances SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) by ensuring job-protected, paid leave for employees participating in military funeral honors. It recognizes the civic contributions of service members and ensures they do not face economic hardship for these duties.

• Effective Date: August 1, 2025
• Applicability: Employers with 51 or more employees.
• Provisions:
  1. Provides up to eight hours of paid leave per month (40 hours per year) for eligible employees to participate in military funeral honors.
  2. Eligibility requires 12 months of employment and 1,250 hours worked in the preceding year.
  3. Leave is paid at the employee’s regular rate and cannot be substituted with other forms of paid leave.

Service Member Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (ISERRA)

By refining compensation calculations and aligning with federal standards, this amendment supports SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities). It ensures fair treatment and economic stability for public employees undertaking active military service, preventing discrimination based on service member status.

• Effective Date: August 15, 2025
• Key Amendments:
  1. Redefines “work days” for differential compensation to reflect shifts worked rather than calendar days.
  2. Limits combined concurrent compensation to 30 days per calendar year.
  3. Prohibits all employers from requiring service members to use vacation or similar leave during active service, aligning with federal law.

Warehouse Tornado Preparedness Act

This Act directly addresses SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) by mandating safety protocols to protect workers from extreme weather events. It also contributes to SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) by promoting resilient infrastructure and occupational safety.

• Effective Date: August 15, 2025
• Requirements:
  1. Mandates that operators of warehouses, as defined by specific NAICS codes, develop and annually update facility-specific tornado safety plans.
  2. Requires designated emergency supplies to be maintained in tornado shelters.

Prevailing Wage Act

The amendment to this Act supports SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) by broadening the scope of projects that require fair and prevailing wages. This ensures that workers on federally funded but locally administered projects receive equitable compensation, reducing wage disparities.

• Effective Date: August 14, 2025
• Provision: Expands the definition of “public works” to include federal construction projects controlled by a public body, provided the state prevailing wage meets or exceeds the federal rate.

Victims Economic Security and Safety Act (VESSA)

This amendment strengthens protections for victims of violence, aligning with SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). By allowing employees to document abuse using employer-issued devices and prohibiting retaliation, it provides crucial support for victims seeking justice and contributes to SDG 8 (Decent Work) by ensuring their economic security.

• Effective Date: January 1, 2026
• Protections:
  1. Permits employees to use employer-issued devices to record incidents of domestic, sexual, or gender violence.
  2. Prohibits employer discipline or retaliation for such recordings.
  3. Requires employers to allow employee access to any recordings made.

Blood and Organ Donation Leave Act

By extending leave eligibility to part-time employees, this amendment promotes SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities). It encourages life-saving donations while ensuring that employment status is not a barrier to participation, supporting SDG 8 (Decent Work) through equitable benefit access.

• Effective Date: January 1, 2026
• Provision: Expands eligibility for up to 10 days of organ and blood donation leave to part-time employees, with compensation based on average pay.

Illinois Human Rights Act (IHRA)

Amendments to the IHRA significantly advance SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). Prohibiting the discriminatory use of AI and proxies like zip codes in employment decisions directly targets systemic biases. The introduction of substantial civil penalties strengthens enforcement mechanisms, promoting SDG 8 (Decent Work) through fairer hiring and employment practices.

• Key Amendments:
  1. Makes fact-finding conferences for discrimination charges discretionary (Effective Aug. 15, 2026).
  2. Introduces civil penalties of $16,000 and up to vindicate public interest (Effective Aug. 15, 2026).
  3. Prohibits using zip codes as a proxy for protected classes in employment decisions (Effective Jan. 1, 2026).
  4. Prohibits the use of AI in hiring decisions if it results in discrimination and requires disclosure of AI use to employees (Effective Jan. 1, 2026).

Transportation Benefits Program Act

This amendment supports SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) by encouraging the use of public transit. By extending pre-tax commuter benefits to part-time employees, it also promotes SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), ensuring more equitable access to workplace benefits.

• Effective Date: January 1, 2026
• Provision: Expands eligibility for pre-tax commuter benefits to part-time employees at covered employers located near fixed-route transit services.

Digital Voice and Likeness Protection Act

This legislation addresses modern challenges to worker rights, contributing to SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth). By establishing clear rules for the use of AI-generated digital replicas, it protects individuals from exploitation and ensures contractual transparency, which aligns with SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) by creating a legal framework for emerging technologies.

• Effective Date: January 1, 2026
• Provision: Renders contracts for digital replicas unenforceable under certain conditions, such as lacking a specific description of intended use and the individual not having legal or union representation.

Workplace Transparency Act

These amendments bolster SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions). The law protects employees’ rights to concerted activity and invalidates unilateral contract provisions that limit access to justice, such as shortening statutes of limitation or requiring out-of-state venues, thereby ensuring a fairer balance of power between employers and employees.

• Effective Date: January 1, 2026
• Key Prohibitions:
  1. Prohibits agreements restricting concerted activity.
  2. Makes unilateral provisions that shorten limitation periods, apply non-Illinois law, or require out-of-state venues unenforceable.
  3. Requires separate consideration for confidentiality and non-disparagement clauses.

Nursing Mothers in the Workplace Act

This amendment is a direct contribution to SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being). By mandating paid break time for nursing mothers, it removes a significant barrier to workforce participation for women post-childbirth and supports maternal and infant health, reinforcing principles of SDG 8 (Decent Work).

• Effective Date: January 1, 2026
• Provision: Clarifies that employers must provide paid break time for employees to express breast milk for one year after childbirth, unless it creates an undue hardship.

Family Neonatal Intensive Care Leave Act

This new Act supports SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) by allowing parents to provide critical care for newborns in a NICU. It also advances SDG 8 (Decent Work) by providing job-protected leave and contributes to SDG 5 (Gender Equality) by recognizing and supporting the caregiving responsibilities of all parents.

• Effective Date: June 1, 2026
• Applicability: Employers with 16 or more employees.
• Provisions:
  1. Provides up to 10 days (for employers with 16-50 employees) or 20 days (for employers with 51+ employees) of unpaid, job-protected leave.
  2. Leave can be taken after FMLA entitlement is exhausted.
  3. Guarantees reinstatement and continuation of health benefits.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: The article discusses several new laws that directly support employee health. The Blood and Organ Donation Leave Act encourages life-saving donations. The Nursing Mothers in the Workplace Act supports maternal and child health by providing paid time for expressing breast milk. The Family Neonatal Intensive Care Leave Act provides job-protected leave for parents of newborns in intensive care, supporting family well-being during a health crisis.
• SDG 5: Gender Equality: The issues addressed have strong connections to gender equality. The Nursing Mothers in the Workplace Act removes a barrier for women returning to the workforce after childbirth. The Victims’ Economic Security and Safety Act (VESSA) offers protections for victims of domestic, sexual, and gender violence, which disproportionately affect women, ensuring they do not face job loss in addition to violence. The Illinois Human Rights Act’s anti-discrimination provisions also contribute to gender equality in the workplace.
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth: This is the most central SDG in the article. The laws discussed aim to create fairer, safer, and more secure working conditions. The Prevailing Wage Act promotes fair compensation. The Warehouse Tornado Preparedness Act mandates safety plans, directly addressing workplace safety. The Workplace Transparency Act and the Service Member Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (ISERRA) protect labor rights. The various leave acts (Military, Blood/Organ Donation, NICU, Nursing Mothers) contribute to a decent work environment by protecting jobs during personal or family exigencies.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: Several acts aim to reduce inequalities among different groups of workers. The Illinois Human Rights Act is amended to prohibit the use of zip codes as a proxy for protected classes and to regulate AI in hiring to prevent discriminatory outcomes. The expansion of benefits to part-time employees under the Blood and Organ Donation Leave Act and the Transportation Benefits Program Act reduces the disparity in protections between full-time and part-time workers.
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: The article touches upon community resilience and sustainable infrastructure. The Warehouse Tornado Preparedness Act contributes to making workplaces and, by extension, communities more resilient to climate-related disasters. The Transportation Benefits Program Act encourages the use of public transit by extending pre-tax benefits, which supports sustainable transportation systems.
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions: The article is fundamentally about strengthening legal institutions to protect citizens’ rights. The amendments to the Illinois Human Rights Act, the Workplace Transparency Act, and VESSA all enhance legal frameworks and ensure greater access to justice for employees. For example, the Workplace Transparency Act makes it unenforceable for employers to unilaterally shorten the statute of limitations or require an out-of-state venue for claims, thus protecting an employee’s access to the justice system.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Target 8.8: Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers, including migrant workers, in particular women migrants, and those in precarious employment. This target is directly addressed by multiple laws. The Warehouse Tornado Preparedness Act mandates safety plans and emergency supplies. VESSA protects employees who are victims of violence from retaliation. The Workplace Transparency Act protects employees’ rights to engage in concerted activity and ensures fair legal proceedings.
• Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value. The amendment to the Prevailing Wage Act, which broadens the definition of “public works,” supports the principle of equal pay for work of equal value by ensuring fair wages on more construction projects. The Illinois Human Rights Act’s prohibition of discriminatory hiring practices, including through AI, directly supports equal opportunity in employment.
• Target 5.4: Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work through the provision of public services, infrastructure and social protection policies and the promotion of shared responsibility within the household and the family as nationally appropriate. The Family Neonatal Intensive Care Leave Act and the Nursing Mothers in the Workplace Act are social protection policies that formally recognize and support the caregiving responsibilities of employees, which are disproportionately borne by women.
• Target 10.3: Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies and practices and promoting appropriate legislation, policies and action in this regard. The amendment to the Illinois Human Rights Act that prohibits using zip codes as a proxy for protected classes and regulates AI in employment decisions is a clear legislative action aimed at eliminating discriminatory practices and ensuring equal opportunity.
• Target 11.5: By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters, including water-related disasters, with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations. The Warehouse Tornado Preparedness Act is a specific policy designed to protect workers from a natural disaster (tornadoes) by requiring safety plans and shelters, thus contributing to this target at a local level.
• Target 16.3: Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all. The Workplace Transparency Act directly supports this target by making contract provisions that shorten statutes of limitation or require out-of-state venues unenforceable, thereby preserving employees’ access to justice in Illinois.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Implied Indicator for Target 8.8 (Safe Working Environments): The number or percentage of warehouses compliant with the Warehouse Tornado Preparedness Act. This can be measured by tracking the number of facilities that have developed and annually updated their tornado safety plans as required by the law.
• Implied Indicator for Target 8.8 (Protecting Labor Rights): The number of employees utilizing the new leave provisions. For example, tracking the number of workers who take leave under the Family Neonatal Intensive Care Leave Act or the Blood and Organ Donation Leave Act would indicate the law’s implementation and reach.
• Implied Indicator for Target 10.3 (Equal Opportunity): The number of discrimination charges filed with the Illinois Human Rights Commission that allege discrimination via AI or the use of zip codes as a proxy. The number and value of civil penalties issued for such violations would also serve as a measure of enforcement.
• Implied Indicator for Target 5.4 (Valuing Unpaid Care): The number of employees utilizing paid break time under the amended Nursing Mothers in the Workplace Act. This would provide data on how the policy is supporting the integration of caregiving responsibilities with employment.
• Implied Indicator for Target 16.3 (Access to Justice): The number of legal cases where provisions are deemed unenforceable under the amended Workplace Transparency Act. This would measure the law’s effectiveness in preventing employers from contractually limiting employees’ access to the Illinois justice system.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: jacksonlewis.com