Proposed Illinois Employment Laws You Should Know
By Kelly A. Hayden, JD, Chief Legal Counsel
Published June 16, 2026
Before adjourning on June 1, the Illinois General Assembly passed several employment-related bills. Lawmakers are not scheduled to be back in session until November. These bills have now been sent to Governor Pritzker and are awaiting further action. Below is a summary of the bills employers should keep on their radar.
Job Opportunities for Qualified Applicants Act. (HB 4758) Also known as “Ban the Box,” this law prohibits employers with 15 or more employees from asking job applicants about their criminal history until the applicant is deemed qualified for a position and selected for an interview or given a conditional offer when there is no interview. The proposed amendment would also prohibit employers from requiring a driver’s license in a job posting unless driving is an essential function of the job. If a license is required, the posting must explain why.
Volunteer Emergency Worker Job Protection Act. (HB 1353) This law prohibits employers from terminating an employee who serves as an emergency worker (including firefighters and EMTs who do not receive monetary compensation) for being absent or late because of those duties. The proposed amendment expands protections by prohibiting any form of discipline or penalty. The revisions clarify that employers can deduct pay for the time an employee misses work due to volunteer emergency duties or training, but they cannot require the employee to use vacation or other paid time off for that purpose. The law applies to municipalities that have fewer than 15,000 residents, an increase from the previous threshold of 7,500.
Jury Act. (HB 4844) Under these amendments, employers with 26 or more employees would be required to pay employees for jury service (at their regular rate of pay) for all time spent serving on a jury.
Illinois Human Rights Act. Two proposed amendments would affect the Illinois Human Rights Act. The first (HB 5284) adds perimenopause, menopause and associated medical or symptomatic conditions as a protected class and requires employers to offer reasonable accommodations. The second amendment (SB 3777) codifies the federal disparate impact standard for violations under the Act. For more information, see our previous article on the topic.
New laws bring new questions, and our legal team is committed to keeping you informed. As information becomes available, we’ll continue sharing updates including whether these laws are enacted and any related guidance or policy updates. HR Source members with questions can reach out through the HR Hotline Online or by calling 800-448-4584.