Insights

On March 11, 2024, Judge Thomas M. Durkin of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois granted plaintiffs’ motion for a preliminary injunction prohibiting the Illinois Department of Labor (DOL) from enforcing the “equivalent benefits” portion of Section 42 of the Illinois Day and Temporary Labor Services Act (DTLSA). Under that provision, a temporary laborer, after working 90 calendar days for a staffing agency client, must receive “equivalent benefits” as a comparable direct-hired employee, or the “hourly cash equivalent” of the benefits.

Gould & Ratner presents the next installment of our Construction Interview Series. As a continued effort to keep our clients informed of current trends in the construction industry, we will continue to periodically sit down with leaders at influential companies to discuss their insights.

Throughout the past few years, the construction industry has been plagued with myriad issues, including supply chain constraints, labor shortages and material procurement problems, among others.  Although some issues subsided as the economy emerged from the pandemic throughout 2023, forecasts predict its lingering effects will continue to impact the construction industry through 2024.  This article addresses some of the bigger challenges the industry faces in the year ahead.

Effective December 31, 2023, Cook County’s new Paid Leave Ordinance (the Ordinance) will require employers to provide 40 hours of paid leave (i.e., leave that can be used for any reason) during a 12-month period. The Ordinance replaces the Cook County Earned Sick Leave Ordinance, which required employers to provide 40 hours of paid sick leave (i.e., leave which could only be used for illness, medical care, or in the event of domestic violence or a public health emergency).

The Chicago City Council has passed an amendment to the new Paid Leave and Paid Sick and Safe Leave Ordinance that delays its effective date from December 31, 2023, to July 1, 2024.

A plethora of federal, state and local employment laws will take effect in 2024. Here is what employers must know: