Illinois Employee Handbook

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.

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.

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