101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
HB4881

 

Introduced 2/18/2020, by Rep. Aaron M. Ortiz

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
New Act

    Creates the Fair Workweek Act. Requires certain employers to provide employees with a good faith estimate of the employee's work schedule. Sets forth the contents of the estimate, including the median number of hours the employee can expect and the manner in which standby lists will be utilized. Requires written work schedules to be provided to employees 14 days in advance. Specifies minimum periods of rest between shifts. Provides for administration by the Department of Labor. Establishes remedies.


LRB101 16746 JLS 66136 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB4881LRB101 16746 JLS 66136 b

1    AN ACT concerning employment.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Fair
5Workweek Act.
 
6    Section 5. Definitions. In this Act:
7    "Chain" means an establishment that is part of an
8affiliation of 2 or more establishments within the United
9States, each of which is owned by the same person or entity and
10operates under identical or substantially similar trade names
11or service marks.
12    "Department" means the Department of Labor.
13    "Employee" means a person employed or permitted to work or
14perform a service for remuneration who is employed in a retail
15establishment, a hospitality establishment, or a food services
16establishment and is engaged in providing services relating to:
17        (1) retail trade, as that term is used in the 2017
18    North American Industry Classification System under code
19    44-45;
20        (2) hotels and motels, as those terms are used in the
21    2017 North American Industry Classification System under
22    code 721110, or casino hotels, as that term is used in the
23    2017 North American Industry Classification System under

 

 

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1    code 721120; or
2        (3) food services, as that term is used in the 2017
3    North American Industry Classification System under code
4    722.
5    "Employee" does not include:
6        (1) a salaried employee;
7        (2) a worker supplied to an employer by a worker
8    leasing company, as defined in Section 206.1 of the
9    Unemployment Insurance Act; or
10        (3) an employee of a business that provides services to
11    or on behalf of an employer.
12    "Employer" means an employer, or a successor to an
13employer, described in Section 10.
14    "Food services establishment" means the fixed point of sale
15location for establishments defined in the 2017 North American
16Industry Classification System under code 722 as food services
17and drinking places.
18    "Hospitality establishment" has the meaning provided in
19the 2017 North American Industry Classification System under
20code 721110 for hotels and motels and code 721120 for casino
21hotels.
22    "On-call shift" means any time that an employer requires an
23employee to be available to work or to contact the employer or
24wait to be contacted by the employer for the purpose of
25determining whether the employee must report to work. During
26the shift, on-call status applies regardless of whether the

 

 

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1employee is located on or off the employer's premises.
2    "Regular rate of pay" means the regular hourly rate or
3hourly equivalent that an employer must pay an employee for
4each hour the employee works during a given work shift,
5including any shift differential pay. "Regular rate of pay"
6does not include:
7        (1) tips;
8        (2) bonuses or other incentive payments;
9        (3) overtime, holiday pay or other premium rate; or
10        (4) any additional compensation an employer is
11    required to pay an employee under Section 35 or 45.
12    "Retail establishment" means the fixed point of sale
13location for an establishment defined in the 2017 North
14American Industry Classification System under codes 441110 to
15453998 as a retail trade establishment.
16    "Shift differential pay" means a pay differential meant to
17compensate an employee for work performed under differing
18conditions, such as for working at night. "Shift differential
19pay" does not include any additional compensation an employer
20is required to pay an employee under Section 35 or 45.
21    "Successor" means a business or enterprise that is
22substantially the same entity as the predecessor employer
23according to criteria adopted by the Department by rule and
24consistent with federal law.
25    "Time of hire" means the period after an offer of
26employment and acceptance of the offer of employment and on or

 

 

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1before the commencement of employment.
2    "Work schedule" means the hours, days, and times, including
3regular work shifts and on-call shifts, when an employee is
4required by an employer to perform duties of employment for
5which the employee will receive compensation.
6    "Work shift" means the specific and consecutive hours the
7employer requires the employee to work.
8    "Workweek" means a fixed period of time established by an
9employer that reflects a regularly recurring period of 168
10hours or 7 consecutive 24-hour periods. A workweek may begin on
11any day of the week and any hour of the day and need not
12coincide with a calendar week. The beginning of a workweek may
13be changed if the change is intended to be permanent.
14    "Writing" or "written" means a printed or printable
15communication in physical or electronic format including a
16communication that is transmitted through electronic mail,
17text message or a computer system or is otherwise sent and
18stored electronically.
19    "Year" means any fixed, consecutive 12-month period.
 
20    Section 10. Covered employees.
21    (a) This Act applies to an employee who is employed by an
22employer, as defined in Section 205 of the Unemployment
23Insurance Act, that is also one or more of the following:
24        (1) A retail establishment that employs 500 or more
25    employees worldwide, including but not limited to a chain

 

 

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1    or an integrated enterprise.
2        (2) A hospitality establishment that employs 500 or
3    more employees worldwide, including but not limited to a
4    chain or an integrated enterprise.
5        (3) A food services establishment that employs 500 or
6    more employees worldwide, including but not limited to a
7    chain or an integrated enterprise.
8    (b) To determine the number of employees employed by an
9employer, the calculation shall be based upon the average
10number of employees employed on each working day during each of
1120 or more workweeks in the current calendar year or
12immediately preceding calendar year.
13    (c) Separate entities that form an integrated enterprise
14are considered a single employer under this Act. Separate
15entities shall be considered an integrated enterprise and a
16single employer under this Act when a separate entity controls
17the operation of another entity. The factors to consider in
18determining whether separate entities form an integrated
19enterprise include, but are not limited to:
20        (1) the degree of interrelation between the operations
21    of multiple entities;
22        (2) the degree to which the entities share common
23    management;
24        (3) the degree to which the entities have centralized
25    control of labor relations; and
26        (4) the degree of common ownership or financial control

 

 

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1    over the entities.
2    (d) The Department shall adopt rules in accordance with the
3provisions of subsection (c) regarding how to determine when
4separate entities form an integrated enterprise for the
5purposes of this Act.
 
6    Section 15. Good faith estimate of work schedule.
7    (a) An employer shall provide a new employee with a written
8good faith estimate of the employee's work schedule at the time
9of hire. The good faith estimate:
10        (1) shall state the median number of hours the employee
11    can expect to work in an average one-month period;
12        (2) shall explain the voluntary standby list described
13    in Section 20 and provide the written notice required in
14    Section 20;
15        (3) shall indicate whether an employee who is not on
16    the voluntary standby list can expect to work on-call
17    shifts and, if so, set forth an objective standard for when
18    an employee not listed on the voluntary standby list may be
19    expected to be available to work on-call shifts; and
20        (4) may be based on a prior year schedule if it is a
21    good faith estimate of seasonal or episodic work.
22    (b) The employer shall include the good faith estimate in
23the language the employer typically uses to communicate with
24the employee.
 

 

 

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1    Section 20. Voluntary standby list.
2    (a) An employer may maintain a standby list of employees
3whom the employer will request to work additional hours to
4address unanticipated customer needs or unexpected employee
5absences if the listed employees have requested or agreed in
6writing to be included on the standby list and the employer
7notifies each employee in writing:
8        (1) that the list is voluntary and how an employee may
9    request to be removed from the list;
10        (2) how the employer will notify a standby list
11    employee of additional hours available and how an employee
12    may accept the additional hours;
13        (3) that the employee is not required to accept the
14    additional hours offered; and
15        (4) that an employee on the standby list is not
16    eligible for additional compensation under Section 40 for
17    the changes to the employee's written work schedule
18    resulting from the employee's acceptance of additional
19    hours offered to the employee as a result of being on the
20    standby list.
21    (b) An employer shall provide an employee on the standby
22list with notice of additional hours available by in-person
23conversation, telephone call, electronic mail, text message,
24or other accessible electronic or written format.
25    (c) An employee who receives notice of additional hours
26available under this Section may decline to accept the

 

 

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1additional hours offered.
2    (d) An employee who consents to work additional hours in
3response to an employer's request under this Section is not
4eligible for any additional compensation under Section 7 for
5the resulting change to the employee's written work schedule.
6    (e) An employee may request to be removed from the standby
7list at any time.
8    (f) An employer may not retaliate against an employee who:
9        (1) does not request or agree to be added to the
10    standby list;
11        (2) requests to be removed from the standby list; or
12        (3) declines an employer's request that the employee
13    work additional hours as a result of the employee being on
14    the standby list.
15    (g) In addition to any other penalty provided by law, the
16Department may assess a civil penalty not to exceed $2,000
17against an employer that it finds has coerced an employee into
18requesting or agreeing to be added to the standby list in
19violation of this Section. Each violation is a separate and
20distinct offense. In the case of a continuing violation, each
21day's continuance is a separate and distinct violation.
22    (h) The standby list is not a list of employees scheduled
23for on-call shifts and the employer is not required to include
24a list of employees on the standby list in the written work
25schedule described in Section 25.
 

 

 

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1    Section 25. Advance notice of work schedule.
2    (a) An employer shall provide an employee with a work
3schedule in writing at least 14 calendar days before the first
4day of the work schedule.
5    (b) The employer shall post the written work schedule in a
6conspicuous and accessible location, in English and in the
7language the employer typically uses to communicate with the
8employees.
9    (c) The employer shall provide a written work schedule that
10runs through the last date of the posted work schedule in
11effect at the time of delivery to:
12        (1) a new employee on or before the employee's first
13    day of work; or
14        (2) an existing employee on the employee's first day of
15    work after a leave of absence.
16    (d) The written work schedule shall include all work shifts
17and on-call shifts for the work period.
18    (e) If the employer requests changes to the written work
19schedule after the advance notice required in this Section:
20        (1) the employer shall provide the employee with timely
21    notice of the change by in-person conversation, telephone
22    call, electronic mail, text message or other accessible
23    electronic or written format; and
24        (2) the employee may decline any work shifts not
25    included in the employee's written work schedule.
26    (f) At any time after the advance notice of written work

 

 

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1schedule required in this Section, an employee may request in
2writing that the employer add the employee to one or more work
3shifts or on-call work shifts. Any changes to the employee's
4written work schedule resulting from such employee-requested
5work schedule changes are not subject to the advance notice
6requirements of this Section.
 
7    Section 30. Right to rest between work shifts.
8    (a) Unless the employee requests or consents to work such
9hours, an employer may not schedule or require an employee to
10work during the following rest periods:
11        (1) the first 10 hours following the end of the
12    previous calendar day's work shift or on-call shift; or
13        (2) the first 10 hours following the end of a work
14    shift or on-call shift that spanned 2 calendar days.
15    (b) Except as provided in subsection (c), an employer shall
16compensate an employee for each hour or portion of an hour that
17the employee works during a rest period described in subsection
18(a) at one and one-half times the employee's regular rate of
19pay.
20    (c) Subsection (b) does not apply to any hour or portion of
21an hour an employee works during the rest period described in
22subsection (a) during which the employee is engaged in
23providing roadside assistance services. As used in this
24subsection, "roadside assistance" means offsite repair
25assistance rendered to a motorist with a disabled vehicle.
 

 

 

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1    Section 35. Employee right to input into work schedule.
2    (a) At the time of hire and during employment, an employee
3may identify any limitations or changes in the employee's work
4schedule availability. The employee may also request not to be
5scheduled for work shifts during certain times or at certain
6locations.
7    (b)(1) An employer may require the employee to provide
8reasonable verification of the need for a request made under
9subsection (a).
10    (2) The employer shall pay any reasonable costs for
11providing verification that is medical verification required
12under this subsection, including lost wages, that are not paid
13under a health benefit plan in which the employee is enrolled.
14    (c) An employer may not retaliate against an employee for
15making a request under subsection (a).
16    (d) An employer is under no obligation to grant an
17employee's request under subsection (a).
 
18    Section 40. Compensation for work schedule changes.
19    (a) As used in this Section:
20    "Group communication" means communication to all eligible
21employees, either written or oral.
22    "Ticketed event" means a sporting, entertainment, civic,
23charitable, or other event that requires a ticket for
24admission. The ticket may be electronic, physical, or a name on

 

 

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1a list held by the event organizer.
2    (b) An employer shall provide the following compensation to
3an employee for each employer-requested change that occurs to
4the employee's written work schedule without the advance notice
5required in Section 25:
6        (1) One hour of pay at the employee's regular rate of
7    pay, in addition to wages earned, when the employer:
8            (A) adds more than 30 minutes of work to the
9        employee's work shift;
10            (B) changes the date or start or end time of the
11        employee's work shift with no loss of hours; or
12            (C) schedules the employee for an additional work
13        shift or on-call shift.
14        (2) One-half times the employee's regular rate of pay
15    per hour for each scheduled hour that the employee does not
16    work when the employer:
17                (A) subtracts hours from the employee's work
18            shift before or after the employee reports for
19            duty;
20                (B) changes the date or start or end time of
21            the employee's work shift, resulting in a loss of
22            work shift hours;
23                (C) cancels the employee's work shift; or
24                (D) does not ask the employee to perform work
25            when the employee is scheduled for an on-call
26            shift.

 

 

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1    (c) The requirements for additional compensation in this
2Section do not apply when:
3        (1) an employer changes the start or end time of an
4    employee's work shift by 30 minutes or less;
5        (2) an employee mutually agrees with another employee
6    to employee-initiated work shift swaps or coverage. The
7    employer may require that work shift swaps or coverage
8    under this paragraph be preapproved by the employer. The
9    employer may assist employees in finding such
10    arrangements, but any employer assistance must be limited
11    to helping an employee identify other employees who may be
12    available to provide work shift swaps or coverage and may
13    not include the employer arranging the work shift swap or
14    coverage;
15        (3) an employee requests changes to the employee's
16    written work schedule, including adding or subtracting
17    hours, and the employee documents the request in writing;
18        (4) an employer makes changes to an employee's written
19    work schedule at the employee's request under subsection
20    (f) of Section 25;
21        (5) an employer subtracts hours from an employee's work
22    schedule for disciplinary reasons for just cause, provided
23    the employer documents the incident leading to the
24    employee's discipline in writing;
25        (6) an employee's work shift or on-call shift cannot
26    begin or continue due to threats to employees or property

 

 

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1    or due to the recommendation of a public official;
2        (7) operations cannot begin or continue because public
3    utilities fail to supply electricity, water or gas or there
4    is a failure in the public utilities or sewer system;
5        (8) operations cannot begin or continue due to a
6    natural disaster or a similar cause not within the
7    employer's control, including when the natural disaster or
8    similar cause physically affects the work site;
9        (9) operation hours change or are substantially
10    altered because a ticketed event is canceled, rescheduled,
11    or changes in duration due to circumstances that are
12    outside the employer's control and that occur after the
13    employer provides the written work schedule under Section
14    25;
15        (10) an employer requests that an employee on a
16    voluntary standby list work additional hours as described
17    in Section 20 and the employee consents to work the
18    additional hours; or
19        (11)(A) an employer requests that an employee work
20    additional hours to address unanticipated customer needs
21    or unexpected employee absence;
22        (B) the employee consents in writing to work the
23    additional hours;
24        (C) if the employer maintains a voluntary standby list
25    described in Section 20, the employer has contacted all of
26    the employees listed on the voluntary standby list and

 

 

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1    requires additional employee coverage; and
2        (D)(i) if the employee is working a work shift at the
3    time the employer makes the request, the employer makes the
4    request either individually or as part of a group
5    communication; or
6        (ii) if the employee is not working a work shift at the
7    time the employer makes the request, the employer makes the
8    request through a group communication.
 
9    Section 45. Notice and posting requirements.
10    (a) The Department shall make available to employers a
11template of a poster giving notice of the rights described in
12this Act. The poster must be in English.
13    (b) Employers shall display the poster at the workplace. If
14displaying the poster is not feasible, including situations in
15which the employees work remotely or do not have a regular
16workplace or job site, the employer may provide the poster on
17an individual basis in a physical or electronic format that is
18reasonably conspicuous and accessible.
 
19    Section 50. Record retention. An employer shall retain
20records that document the employer's compliance with this Act
21for 3 years.
 
22    Section 55. Retaliation prohibited. It is an unlawful
23practice for an employer to:

 

 

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1        (1) Interfere with, restrain, deny or attempt to deny
2    the exercise of any right protected under this Act; or
3        (2) Retaliate or in any way discriminate against an
4    individual with respect to hire or tenure or any other term
5    or condition of employment because the individual has
6    inquired about the provisions of this Act.
 
7    Section 60. Enforcement, right of action, and
8administrative remedies.
9    (a) An employee asserting a violation of Section 55 may
10file a complaint with the Department or a civil action as
11provided in the Code of Civil Procedure.
12    (b) The Department has the same enforcement powers with
13respect to the rights established under this Act as are
14established under the Wage Payment and Collection Act.
15    (c) In addition to any other damages provided by law, the
16Department may assess a statutory penalty as follows:
17        (1) $500 for any violation of Section 45.
18        (2) $1,000 for any violation of Section 55, 20, 25, 30,
19    35, 40, 50 or 55.
20        (3) If the Department determines that the employer paid
21    the full remedy due, not including any statutory penalty,
22    within 14 days of service of an order, the Department shall
23    waive 50% of the amount of any statutory penalty imposed by
24    order under this Section.
 

 

 

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1    Section 65. Other rights and remedies. Nothing in this Act
2is intended to:
3        (1) limit employee rights or protections otherwise
4    provided by law;
5        (2) create an additional remedy for an employee if a
6    remedy equal to or better than a remedy in Section 30 or 40
7    is required by a collective bargaining agreement or other
8    contract; or
9        (3) provide a cause of action to an employee for work
10    schedule changes necessary to accommodate that employee
11    under State or federal family or medical leave laws, State
12    or federal disability laws, or under the Workers'
13    Compensation Act.
 
14    Section 70. Action for retaliation.
15    (a) A person claiming to be aggrieved by a violation of
16Section 55, except a claim relating to Section 35, may file a
17civil action in circuit court. In any action under this
18subsection, the court may order injunctive relief and any other
19equitable relief that may be appropriate, including, but not
20limited to, reinstatement or the hiring of employees with or
21without back pay. A court may order back pay in an action under
22this subsection only for the 2-year period immediately
23preceding the filing of a complaint under this Act with the
24Department, or if a complaint was not filed before the action
25was commenced, the 2-year period immediately preceding the

 

 

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1filing of the action. In any action under this subsection, the
2court may allow the prevailing party costs and reasonable
3attorney fees at trial and on appeal.
4    (b) In any action under subsection (a), the court may
5award, in addition to the relief authorized under subsection
6(a), compensatory damages or $200, whichever is greater, and
7punitive damages.
8    (c) Any attorney's fee agreement shall be subject to
9approval by the court.