Business

By Gene Marks

If you're an employer in Illinois, there are a number of new rules and regulations taking effect this year that will impact you.

For example, the Illinois Personnel Record Review Act now allows both former and current workers of companies with more than five employees to review, copy or retain copies of their employment records at least twice in a calendar year.

Under the Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act, employers now must keep records of pay stubs for all of their employees — including those terminated — for at least three years. Companies also must take extra caution about requiring employees to attend meetings that may include discussing the employer’s political or religious stands on issues, according to a new expansion of the Worker Freedom of Speech Act.

All of these rules add to the complexity of being an Illinois employer. But there are at least two other regulations that are more impactful.

Human rights

Kenneth Apicella, an attorney with Drost, Gilbert, Andrew & Apicella, LLC in Palatine, believes the changes that likely will have the biggest potential for additional litigation against employers are the amendments to the Illinois Human Rights Act.

According to Apicella, the statute of limitations for alleged violations of the Human Rights Act has been extended from 300 calendar days to two years to file a charge with the Illinois Department of Human Rights based upon employment discrimination, harassment or retaliation. This...

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