What your Illinois employee handbook must cover — and how Handbook Generator generates a compliant handbook automatically.
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As of January 2024, Illinois requires all employers to provide 40 hours of paid leave per year that employees can use for any reason — not just sick leave. This is broader than most state sick leave laws. Your handbook must describe this paid leave benefit, accrual, and usage rules.
Chicago has its own Paid Sick Leave Ordinance providing additional rights beyond state law. If you have employees in Chicago, your handbook must comply with both state and city requirements. Cook County has a minimum wage ordinance that may exceed state and federal minimums.
Illinois BIPA is one of the strictest biometric privacy laws in the US. If your business collects fingerprints, retina scans, facial recognition, or other biometric data (even for time clocks), you must have a written policy, inform employees in writing, obtain written consent, and describe your data destruction schedule. BIPA violations carry significant statutory damages.
The IHRA covers employers with 1+ employees and includes broader protected classes than federal law: sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, military status, and unfavorable military discharge. Your EEO policy must reflect Illinois's broader protections.
Illinois VESSA provides up to 4 weeks of unpaid leave per year for employees who are victims of domestic or sexual violence, or have a family member who is. Your handbook must include VESSA leave information.
Illinois requires final wages to be paid on the next regular payday following termination or resignation. Earned vacation must be paid out on termination if your policy provides for it — Illinois treats accrued vacation as earned wages.
This information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Consult a licensed employment attorney for guidance specific to your situation.
Yes. Illinois treats accrued, unused vacation as earned wages. If your policy provides for vacation accrual, you must pay it out on termination. Use-it-or-lose-it vacation policies are disfavored. Your handbook should clearly state your vacation payout policy.
BIPA applies if you collect any biometric identifier — fingerprint time clocks are the most common. Violations carry $1,000-$5,000 per violation (per person, per occurrence). If you use fingerprint timekeeping, your handbook must include a compliant BIPA policy.
The 2024 Paid Leave for All Workers Act provides 40 hours of paid leave for any reason. It supplements, not replaces, any Chicago sick leave obligations if applicable. Employers can use one leave bank if it meets both requirements.
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