Spring Cleaning: It’s Not Just For Your Closet

It’s good practice for employers to review their HR policies and practices at least on an annual basis both to make sure they are being followed consistently and to keep current with any changes in the law.   

Illinois employers recently experienced a wave of new employment laws, including:

• Reimbursement of business expenses under the Illinois Wage Payment Collection Act

• Paid breaks for nursing mothers under the Illinois Nursing Mothers in the Workplace Act

• Additional protections for military service members under the Illinois Service Member Employment and Reemployment Rights Act

• Equal pay protections for African-American employees under the Illinois Equal Pay Act

• Changes to the Illinois One Day Rest in Seven Act for emergency medical service employees

• Mandatory notice of employees’ rights under the Illinois Human Rights Act in employee handbooks  

You don’t want to be susceptible to claims because of outdated policies, or lose out on potential remedies because you keep forgetting to add specific language (hello, Defend Trade Secrets Act!).  If you haven’t taken a look at your HR policies and practices in a while, now’s the time to dust them off and make any necessary revisions.