Illinois Employee Handbook

Jul 4, 2025

When your company hires employees in Illinois, you are required to comply with federal, state, and local employment laws. There are a variety of human resources and labor policies in the workplace that differ by state. Through your employee handbook, employers can easily document and distribute the correct policies to their employees to comply with the laws of each state.

Creating your Illinois Employee Handbook is a useful way to explain important policies and procedures, mitigate legal risk, and introduce employees to the expectations and operating practices of the organization.

Mosey has compiled the relevant policies a company with employees in Illinois must consider.

Launch your employee handbook in minutes.

Illinois Employee Handbook Policies

There are 11 state and local employee handbook policies in Illinois.

Privacy

Illinois Social Media Privacy Policy

Generally, Employer is prohibited from accessing your personal social media accounts and will not discipline or terminate an employee for refusing to disclose their social media login information or for denying to provide access to their social media accounts.

Paid Time Off

Illinois Paid Leave Policy

You are entitled to earn one hour of paid leave for every 40 hours worked, up to a maximum of 40 hours per year. Paid leave may be used after 90 days of employment for any reason.

Leaves of Absence

Illinois Blood Donation Leave Policy

You are permitted to take 1 hour of paid time-off to donate blood every 56 days.

Illinois Military Family Leave Policy

Under the Illinois Family Military Leave Act, you are permitted to take up to 15 days of job-protected military family leave per calendar year if your spouse, parent, grandparent, or child is ordered to active duty of at least 30 continuous days.

Illinois Volunteer Emergency Responder Leave Policy

You are permitted to take unpaid leave to serve as a volunteer firefighter, EMS, EMR, EMT, ambulance driver or paramedic in response to a fire or an emergency. You may be required to provide proof of service and should provide advance notice that you will be absent or late as soon as possible.

Illinois Organ Donation Leave Policy

You are permitted to take up to 10 days of paid time-off to donate an organ every 12 months.

Illinois School Visitation Leave Policy

Employer provides employees with up to 8 hours of unpaid leave each year to participate in activities at a child’s school or daycare.

Illinois Jury Duty Leave Policy

You are entitled to unpaid job-protected leave to serve as a juror. Unless directed otherwise by your manager, you should return to work at the completion of jury duty, even if for a partial day.

Illinois Family Bereavement Leave Policy

Employer is required to provide up to 10 working days of family bereavement leave for the death of a child, stepchild, spouse, domestic partner, sibling, parent, mother-in-law, father-in-law, grandchild, grandparent, or stepparent. Bereavement leave also covers miscarriage, stillbirth, unsuccessful IVF treatments, failed adoption attempts as defined by law, or medical diagnoses affecting fertility.

Illinois Domestic Violence Leave Policy

You are entitled to take between four to twelve weeks of job-protected leave to seek medical attention or counseling for domestic violence-related issues, obtain victim services, seek legal assistance, participate in safety planning, and attend a funeral, make arrangements, or grieve a family member killed in a violent crime.

Illinois Voting Leave Policy

You are permitted to take up to two hours of paid time off to vote if you would not otherwise have sufficient time to vote.

Employee handbook builder

Federal Employee Handbook Policies

Regardless of which states you have employees in, there are required federal policies that must be included in your employee handbook. In addition to any state-specific policies, your employee handbook for Illinois should contain the following federal policies.

  • Anti-Harassment Policy
  • Anti-Sexual Harassment Policy
  • Anti-Retaliation Policy
  • Equal Employment Opportunity Policy
  • Reasonable Accommodation Policy

Handbook Policy Best Practices

In addition to the required federal policies, the following policies are best practices to include in your employee handbook.

  • Weapons Policy
  • Disciplinary Action Policy
  • Prohibited Conduct Policy
  • Violations Reporting Policy
  • Workplace Violence Prevention Policy
  • At-Will Employment

Employee handbook requirements by state

Select a state to learn more about state and federal HR policies.

See all

More from the blog

Learn how to keep your business compliant in all 50 states across payroll, HR, Secretary of State, and tax.

How To Get a California Seller's Permit for Your Business

If you intend to sell goods in California, even if only on a temporary basis, you’ll likely need a California seller’s permit. Seller’s permits are necessary for businesses and individuals who want to exchange goods for money in nearly every setting. Here’s what entrepreneurs (both large and small) in California need to know about the process of obtaining a seller’s permit. What Are Seller’s Permits? A seller’s permit is a permit that allows anyone (from an individual to a small business to a large organization) to sell any tangible property (like physical goods) that would be subject to sales tax.

Alex Kehayias | Mar 8, 2024

What is Short-Term Disability? 5 States Requiring SDI (2024)

As of 2024, five US states require employers to provide short-term disability insurance to workers: California, Hawaii, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island. Eligibility requirements, employer contributions rates, and authorized providers vary by state—but in general, businesses with at least one non-owner employee who performs work in one of these states need to obtain coverage to maintain compliance with state law. What is state disability insurance (SDI)? State disability insurance (SDI) refers to a collection of state programs that require employers to offer short-term disability insurance to workers.

Gabrielle Sinacola | Aug 4, 2023

SOC 2 Compliance Checklist 2024

Data seems to drive everything these days. In business, it’s responsible for safeguarding your customers’ information — it can be the difference between building trust and facing damaging consequences. SOC 2 compliance is a widely recognized standard that demonstrates your organization’s commitment to protecting sensitive data. It’s not just a box to tick — it’s a way to ensure your business practices align with the highest security standards. Achieving SOC 2 compliance doesn’t have to be a headache for your business.

Kaitlin Edwards | Jun 8, 2024

Ready to get started?

Schedule a free consultation to see how Mosey transforms business compliance.