Illinois is only one of two states with a mandate to provide paid vacation time for employees to use, for any reason. The Illinois Paid Leave for All Act mandates that employees earn at least one hour of paid leave for every 40 hours worked, up to a maximum of 40 hours annually. While many states mandate mandatory sick leave, Illinois and Maine are the only two states to require employers to give workers paid vacation time currently.
In addition to this, the Illinois legislature passed a new law going into effect on January 1, 2026, that will require employers with at least 100 employees to provide paid break time for employees to pump breast milk for the first year after childbirth. These breaks can run at the same time as other pre-defined breaks, but employers cannot require employees to use paid leave or reduce their pay while they are pumping.
The state is also requiring employers with at least 16 employees to provide unpaid, job-protected leave to employees whose child is in a neonatal intensive care unit. Employers with 16-50 employees are required to provide up to 10 days, and up to 20 days for those with at least 51 employees. Leave may be taken continuously or intermittently, in increments of at least two hours. The law states that employees who are eligible for Family Medical Leave Act leave must fully exhaust their FMLA benefit before taking the NICU leave.
The state will now also require employers with at least 51 employees to provide up to 40 hours per year of paid leave time for employees who participate in military funeral honors details.
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