📢 Know Your Rights!

Written By Jessie Fuentes

The Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) Office of Labor Standards (OLS) oversees Chicago's landmark labor laws.  On July 1, 2024,  the scheduled annual increase in Chicago’s minimum wage, implementation of the Paid Leave and Paid Sick and Safe Leave Ordinance, and a scheduled enhancement of the Fair Workweek Ordinance requirements will go into effect. 

Effective July 1, 2024:

The One Fair Wage Ordinance:

  • Phases out the tipped wage credit for tipped workers over a 5-year period.

  • Will provide for the wages of tipped workers such as restaurant servers, bartenders, bussers and runners who earn a subminimum wage of $11.02 per hour to increase by 8 percent per year until it reaches parity with Chicago’s standard hourly minimum wage on July 1, 2028. 

  • One Fair Wage Coalition Resources:

    • Raising the Bar: A Worker, Employer and Consumer Guide to Implementation of Chicago’s New One Fair Wage Ordinance

    • Arise Chicago Worker Center is a membership-based community resource for immigrant and U.S.-born workers to learn about their rights and organize fellow workers to improve workplace conditions. Workers experiencing issues at their workplace are encouraged to contact Arise by calling 773-769-6000 or visiting www.arisechicago.org

    • The Chicago Hospitality Accountability & Advocacy Database (CHAAD) - Shift Change Chicago work to support hospitality workers who have experienced workplace discrimination and sexual harassment. They connect workers to mental health counselors and survivor support networks and assist with workplace organizing. You can contact the CHAAD Project and Shift Change Chicago by visiting www.thechaadproject.org

    • High Road Restaurants work with restaurants all over the country to help build a more equitable, inclusive, and resilient industry where workers and employers can actually thrive together. Visit www.highroadrestaurants.org to learn how you can access training resources.

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Chicago’s minimum wage increases per the Minimum Wage Ordinance: 

  • The minimum wage will be $16.20.   

  • The minimum wage for subsidized youth employment programs, and subsidized transitional employment programs will be $15.00.  

  • The minimum wage will no longer be tiered for large and small businesses.    

 

The Chicago Paid Leave and Paid Sick and Safe Leave Ordinance which guarantees up to five days of paid leave and five days of paid sick leave for all of Chicago’s workers for employees who work at least 80 hours within any 120-day period.  

Under the Paid Leave requirements: 

  • Employees accrue at a rate of 1 hour of paid leave for every 35 hours worked (up to 40 hours in a 12-month period) 

  • Employees must be allowed to use accrued paid leave no later than on the 90th day following the commitment of employment 

  • Employees can carry over up to 16 hours between 12-month periods (if paid leave is not front loaded). 

  • Employees can use paid leave for any reason 

Under the Paid Sick and Safe Leave requirements:  

  • Employees accrue at a rate of 1 hour of sick leave for every 35 hours worked (up to 40 hours in a 12-month period) 

  • Employees must be allowed to use accrued sick leave no later than on the 30th day following the commitment of employment 

  • Employees can carry over up to 80 hours between 12-month periods 

  • Employees can use paid sick leave for medical and safety reasons  

 

The Fair Workweek Ordinance will include updated compensation metrics:

  • Employees will be covered by the ordinance if they work in one of seven “covered” industries (building services, healthcare, hotel, manufacturing, restaurant, retail, or warehouse services)

  • Earn less than or equal to $31.85/hour or earn less than or equal to $61,149.35/year,

  • Employer has at least 100 employees globally (250 employees and 30 locations if operating a restaurant)

  • Requires certain employers to provide workers with predictable work schedules and compensation for changes.  

 

Resources:

Jessie Fuentes
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