CHICAGO — There are close to 300 new Illinois or Chicago-area laws going into effect with the arrival of the new year, and they run the gamut from upping minimum wage and increasing pay transparency for job listings to banning single-use shampoo bottles in local hotels.

While not every law that goes into effect with the beginning of 2025 will have a widespread day-to-day impact on everyone in the state or the Chicago metro area, there are a number of them worth flagging to keep on your radar.

Below are some of the most notable new laws that go into effect starting this week.

New $15 minimum wage

Most hourly workers in Illinois will see a pay increase in 2025.

The state minimum wage will jump from $14 to $15 per hour, for workers 18 years and older, on Jan. 1.

The minimum wage for tipped workers will also increase to $9 per hour. In 2024, tipped employees earned at least $8.40 an hour. Overtime must be paid after 40 hours of work per week at time and one-half the regular rate.

Youth workers under 18 who work fewer than 650 hours per year will see their hourly wage increase to $13 per hour.

In 2024, the minimum wage for non-tipped workers increased to $14 an hour in 2024. The federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour has not increased since 2009, and it remains the law in 20 states.

Expansions on reproductive rights

Starting Jan. 1, the new law will prohibit discrimination based on a person's reproductive health decisions, such as fertility care and abortion, and extend...

Read Full Story: https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMigwFBVV95cUxQaTRUdm9Fb1I1SXg1c1YyN2ps...