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1 | AN ACT concerning employment.
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2 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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3 | represented in the General Assembly:
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4 | Section 5. The Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act is | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
5 | amended by changing Section 11 as follows:
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6 | (820 ILCS 115/11) (from Ch. 48, par. 39m-11)
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7 | Sec. 11. It shall be the duty of the Department of Labor to | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
8 | inquire diligently
for any violations of this Act, and to | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
9 | institute the actions for penalties
herein provided, and to | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
10 | enforce generally the provisions of this Act.
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11 | An employee may file a complaint with the Department | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
12 | alleging violations of the Act by submitting a signed, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
13 | completed wage claim application on the form provided by the | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
14 | Department and by submitting copies of all supporting | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
15 | documentation. Complaints shall be filed within one year after | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
16 | the wages, final compensation, or wage supplements were due. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
17 | Applications shall be reviewed by the Department to | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
18 | determine whether there is cause for investigation.
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19 | The Department shall have the following powers:
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20 | (a) To investigate and attempt equitably to adjust | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
21 | controversies between
employees and employers in respect | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
22 | of wage claims arising under this Act
and to that end the | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
23 | Department through the Director of Labor or any other
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1 | person in the Department of Labor designated by him or her, | ||||||
2 | shall have the
power to administer oaths, subpoena and | ||||||
3 | examine witnesses, to issue subpoenas
duces tecum | ||||||
4 | requiring the production of such books, papers, records and
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5 | documents as may be evidence of any matter under inquiry | ||||||
6 | and to examine and
inspect the same as may relate to the | ||||||
7 | question in dispute. Service of such
subpoenas shall be | ||||||
8 | made by any sheriff or any person. Any
court in this State, | ||||||
9 | upon the application of the Department
may compel | ||||||
10 | attendance of witnesses, the
production of books and | ||||||
11 | papers, and the giving of testimony before the
Department | ||||||
12 | by attachment for contempt or in any other way as the | ||||||
13 | production
of evidence may be compelled before such court.
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14 | (b) To take assignments of wage claims in the name of | ||||||
15 | the Director of
Labor and his or her successors in office | ||||||
16 | and prosecute actions for the
collection of wages for | ||||||
17 | persons financially unable to prosecute such claims when in
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18 | the judgment of the Department such claims are valid and | ||||||
19 | enforceable in the
courts. No court costs or any fees for | ||||||
20 | necessary process and
proceedings shall be payable in | ||||||
21 | advance by the Department for prosecuting
such actions. In | ||||||
22 | the event there is a judgment rendered against the
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23 | defendant, the court shall assess as part of such judgment | ||||||
24 | the costs of
such proceeding. Upon collection of such | ||||||
25 | judgments the Department shall pay
from the proceeds of | ||||||
26 | such judgment such costs to such person who is by law
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1 | entitled to same. The Department may join in a single | ||||||
2 | proceeding any number
of wage claims against the same | ||||||
3 | employer but the court shall have
discretionary power to | ||||||
4 | order a severance or separate trial for hearings.
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5 | (c) To make complaint in any court of competent | ||||||
6 | jurisdiction of
violations of this Act.
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7 | (d) In addition to the aforementioned powers, subject | ||||||
8 | to appropriation, the Department may establish an | ||||||
9 | administrative procedure to adjudicate claims or specific | ||||||
10 | categories of claims filed with the Department for $3,000 | ||||||
11 | or less per individual employee, exclusive of penalties, | ||||||
12 | costs and fines, including instances where an employer | ||||||
13 | fails to timely respond to a notice of claim issued by the | ||||||
14 | Department; and to issue final and binding administrative | ||||||
15 | decisions on such claims subject to the Administrative | ||||||
16 | Review Law. To establish such a procedure, the Director of | ||||||
17 | Labor or her or his authorized representative may | ||||||
18 | promulgate rules and regulations. The adoption, amendment | ||||||
19 | or rescission of rules and regulations for such a procedure | ||||||
20 | shall be in conformity with the requirements of the | ||||||
21 | Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. | ||||||
22 | Nothing herein shall be construed to prevent any employee | ||||||
23 | from making
complaint or prosecuting his or her own claim for | ||||||
24 | wages. Any employee aggrieved by a violation of this Act or any | ||||||
25 | rule adopted under this Act may file suit in circuit court of | ||||||
26 | Illinois, in the county where the alleged violation occurred or |
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1 | where any employee who is party to the action resides, without | ||||||
2 | regard to exhaustion of any alternative administrative | ||||||
3 | remedies provided in this Act. Actions may be brought by one or | ||||||
4 | more employees for and on behalf of themselves and other | ||||||
5 | employees similarly situated.
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6 | Nothing herein shall be construed to limit the authority of | ||||||
7 | the State's
attorney of any county to prosecute actions for | ||||||
8 | violation of this Act or
to enforce the provisions thereof | ||||||
9 | independently and without specific direction
of the Department | ||||||
10 | of Labor.
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11 | (Source: P.A. 95-209, eff. 8-16-07; 96-1407, eff. 1-1-11.)
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