While the COVID-19 pandemic forced millions of employees to work remotely, this new work model has become a mainstay for many businesses – even after it was safe to return to our offices. This is because many employers realized there are numerous benefits to working from home. If you are an employer...
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Can You Be Placed on Unpaid Leave if You Are a Vaccine-Exempt Employee?
While it has now been established that an employer has the legal right to mandate its workers to get vaccinated for COVID-19, some employees are still exempt for certain reasons: 1) medical under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA); or 2) religious under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. This begs...
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Employers in Chicago Prohibited from Disciplining Employees Who Take Time Off to Receive COVID-19 Vaccine
For employees who work in the city of Chicago, receiving the COVID-19 vaccine can no longer cost them their job. As of April 21, 2021, the Chicago City Council unanimously approved an Ordinance that makes it illegal for Chicago employers to either fire or discipline workers who leave work during normally scheduled...
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Illinois Employee Sick Leave Act Includes Care of Family Members
Personal sick leave is an extremely valuable benefit of a job as it allows employees to miss periods of work due to serious illness without worrying about losing their job for it. Under the Illinois Employee Sick Leave Act (ESLA), which was first enacted in 2017, Illinois employers are required to allow...
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Proving Employment Discrimination
It’s important that no one is discriminated against in the workplace. Unfortunately, there are many forms of employment discrimination. Whether you are treated unfairly because of your race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or national origin, the law is on your side. It protects employees from wrongful termination or other forms of...
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Can Your Employer Require You to Get the COVID-19 Vaccine?
As more and more Americans continue to receive one of the COVID-19 vaccines (Pfizer, Moderna, J&J, etc.), many companies have begun to return to the office to conduct business in person. But as employers open back up, some are requiring that their employees get vaccinated to continue working for the company. This...
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Remote Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
In response to the coronavirus pandemic, most businesses have had to adapt to working remotely. But while there have certainly been some benefits to this, there have also arisen some new problems. One such problem has become sexual harassment in a digital world. Though it may seem counterintuitive for...
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Can an Employer Require its Employees to Receive the COVID-19 Vaccine?
As the coronavirus vaccine continues to become more widely available, many employers are hoping to get back to a safe, in-person work environment. To do this, many are hoping and encouraging their employees to get the vaccine. But do they have the right to require them to get it?
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What to Know About the Illinois Minimum Wage Increase
There’s no doubt that living in the U.S. is expensive. As seen clearly in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, many Americans are struggling to make ends meet. This is especially true for those hourly workers who have been paid minimum wage. In an effort to help with inflation and the...
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Can You Be Fired in Illinois for Taking Off of Work for Jury Duty?
Few things are worse than finding out that you are called to jury duty. Except for being fired for missing work because you are called to jury duty. Unfortunately, sometimes employers will try to pressure their employees into getting out of jury duty so as not to miss any work. However,...
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