Illinois Department of Human Rights issued the following announcement on Aug. 21.
Governor JB Pritzker signed critical legislation today to extend Illinois Human Rights Act (IHRA) protections to all employees across Illinois.
"The Department is proud to have supported this fundamental piece of legislation," said Illinois Department of Human Rights Director Jim Bennett. "Today's HB 252 signing is a major step in ensuring all employees - no matter the size of their employer - are treated with dignity and respect as delineated in the Illinois Human Rights Act. The Department is looking forward to partnering with the small business community as we work to implement these changes."
Prior to today's signature, the IHRA afforded legal protections primarily to workers employed by businesses with 15 or more employees. HB 252 makes the IHRA more inclusive by changing the definition of "employer" to "1 or more employees."
Under federal anti-discrimination law, "employer" is still defined as a minimum of 15 workers. As a result of this IHRA amendment, all workers in Illinois will now have a recourse at the Illinois Department of Human Rights in cases of employment discrimination.
At the request of the Department of Human Rights, this new law takes effect July 1, 2020.
The Illinois Department of Human Rights administers the IHRA. The IHRA prohibits unlawful discrimination in Illinois with respect to employment, financial credit, public accommodations, housing, and sexual harassment in education. For more information about IDHR, visit our website here. You can also find us on Facebook at Facebook.com/IllinoisDHR or follow us on Twitter @Illinois_DHR.
Original source can be found here.
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