On August 26, 2014, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed into law House Bill 8 amending the Illinois Human Rights Act (the Act) to provide greater protections to applicants and employees who are or become pregnant, as set forth in more detail in our August 29, 2014 ASAP on this subject.
The amendments go into effect on January 1, 2015. Under the amendments, an employer is required to post a notice prepared by the Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR) regarding an employee's rights under these amendments and the employer's obligation to accommodate pregnancy under the amendments to the Act, and to include such information in any employee handbooks. The notice is to be posted in a conspicuous location on the employer's premises where notices are customarily posted.
The IDHR has now issued approved postings for an employee's rights under the amendments to the Act, which are available at the IDHR's website, accessible here.
The IDHR has provided English and Spanish versions of the notice. Although only the English version is required to be posted, employers with Spanish-speaking employees may choose to post both notices.
As the amendments go into effect January 1, 2015, now that the IDHR has issued its approved notice, employers with Illinois employees should immediately post this notice and review and modify their employee handbooks to ensure that this information is included therein.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.