100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2017 and 2018
SB1697

 

Introduced 2/9/2017, by Sen. Jacqueline Y. Collins

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
775 ILCS 5/2-102  from Ch. 68, par. 2-102

    Amends the Illinois Human Rights Act. Provides that it is a violation for an employer to impose as a condition of obtaining or retaining employment any term or condition that requires a person to violate or forgo a sincerely held practice of his or her religion including the wearing of any attire, clothing, or facial hair in accordance with the requirements of his or her religion. Effective immediately.


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A BILL FOR

 

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1    AN ACT concerning human rights.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Illinois Human Rights Act is amended by
5changing Section 2-102 as follows:
 
6    (775 ILCS 5/2-102)  (from Ch. 68, par. 2-102)
7    Sec. 2-102. Civil Rights Violations - Employment. It is a
8civil rights violation:
9    (A) Employers. For any employer to refuse to hire, to
10segregate, or to act with respect to recruitment, hiring,
11promotion, renewal of employment, selection for training or
12apprenticeship, discharge, discipline, tenure or terms,
13privileges or conditions of employment on the basis of unlawful
14discrimination or citizenship status.
15    (A-5) Language. For an employer to impose a restriction
16that has the effect of prohibiting a language from being spoken
17by an employee in communications that are unrelated to the
18employee's duties.
19    For the purposes of this subdivision (A-5), "language"
20means a person's native tongue, such as Polish, Spanish, or
21Chinese. "Language" does not include such things as slang,
22jargon, profanity, or vulgarity.
23    (B) Employment Agency. For any employment agency to fail or

 

 

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1refuse to classify properly, accept applications and register
2for employment referral or apprenticeship referral, refer for
3employment, or refer for apprenticeship on the basis of
4unlawful discrimination or citizenship status or to accept from
5any person any job order, requisition or request for referral
6of applicants for employment or apprenticeship which makes or
7has the effect of making unlawful discrimination or
8discrimination on the basis of citizenship status a condition
9of referral.
10    (C) Labor Organization. For any labor organization to
11limit, segregate or classify its membership, or to limit
12employment opportunities, selection and training for
13apprenticeship in any trade or craft, or otherwise to take, or
14fail to take, any action which affects adversely any person's
15status as an employee or as an applicant for employment or as
16an apprentice, or as an applicant for apprenticeships, or
17wages, tenure, hours of employment or apprenticeship
18conditions on the basis of unlawful discrimination or
19citizenship status.
20    (D) Sexual Harassment. For any employer, employee, agent of
21any employer, employment agency or labor organization to engage
22in sexual harassment; provided, that an employer shall be
23responsible for sexual harassment of the employer's employees
24by nonemployees or nonmanagerial and nonsupervisory employees
25only if the employer becomes aware of the conduct and fails to
26take reasonable corrective measures.

 

 

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1    (E) Public Employers. For any public employer to refuse to
2permit a public employee under its jurisdiction who takes time
3off from work in order to practice his or her religious beliefs
4to engage in work, during hours other than such employee's
5regular working hours, consistent with the operational needs of
6the employer and in order to compensate for work time lost for
7such religious reasons. Any employee who elects such deferred
8work shall be compensated at the wage rate which he or she
9would have earned during the originally scheduled work period.
10The employer may require that an employee who plans to take
11time off from work in order to practice his or her religious
12beliefs provide the employer with a notice of his or her
13intention to be absent from work not exceeding 5 days prior to
14the date of absence.
15    (E-5) Religious discrimination. For any employer to impose
16upon a person as a condition of obtaining or retaining
17employment, including opportunities for promotion,
18advancement, or transfer, any terms or conditions that would
19require such person to violate or forgo a sincerely held
20practice of his or her religion including, but not limited to,
21the wearing of any attire, clothing, or facial hair in
22accordance with the requirements of his or her religion,
23unless, after engaging in a bona fide effort, the employer
24demonstrates that it is unable to reasonably accommodate the
25employee's or prospective employee's sincerely held religious
26observance or practice without undue hardship on the conduct of

 

 

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1the employer's business.
2    (F) Training and Apprenticeship Programs. For any
3employer, employment agency or labor organization to
4discriminate against a person on the basis of age in the
5selection, referral for or conduct of apprenticeship or
6training programs.
7    (G) Immigration-Related Practices.
8        (1) for an employer to request for purposes of
9    satisfying the requirements of Section 1324a(b) of Title 8
10    of the United States Code, as now or hereafter amended,
11    more or different documents than are required under such
12    Section or to refuse to honor documents tendered that on
13    their face reasonably appear to be genuine; or
14        (2) for an employer participating in the E-Verify
15    Program, as authorized by 8 U.S.C. 1324a, Notes, Pilot
16    Programs for Employment Eligibility Confirmation (enacted
17    by PL 104-208, div. C title IV, subtitle A) to refuse to
18    hire, to segregate, or to act with respect to recruitment,
19    hiring, promotion, renewal of employment, selection for
20    training or apprenticeship, discharge, discipline, tenure
21    or terms, privileges or conditions of employment without
22    following the procedures under the E-Verify Program.
23    (H) (Blank).
24    (I) Pregnancy. For an employer to refuse to hire, to
25segregate, or to act with respect to recruitment, hiring,
26promotion, renewal of employment, selection for training or

 

 

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1apprenticeship, discharge, discipline, tenure or terms,
2privileges or conditions of employment on the basis of
3pregnancy, childbirth, or medical or common conditions related
4to pregnancy or childbirth. Women affected by pregnancy,
5childbirth, or medical or common conditions related to
6pregnancy or childbirth shall be treated the same for all
7employment-related purposes, including receipt of benefits
8under fringe benefit programs, as other persons not so affected
9but similar in their ability or inability to work, regardless
10of the source of the inability to work or employment
11classification or status.
12    (J) Pregnancy; reasonable accommodations.
13        (1) If after a job applicant or employee, including a
14    part-time, full-time, or probationary employee, requests a
15    reasonable accommodation, for an employer to not make
16    reasonable accommodations for any medical or common
17    condition of a job applicant or employee related to
18    pregnancy or childbirth, unless the employer can
19    demonstrate that the accommodation would impose an undue
20    hardship on the ordinary operation of the business of the
21    employer. The employer may request documentation from the
22    employee's health care provider concerning the need for the
23    requested reasonable accommodation or accommodations to
24    the same extent documentation is requested for conditions
25    related to disability if the employer's request for
26    documentation is job-related and consistent with business

 

 

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1    necessity. The employer may require only the medical
2    justification for the requested accommodation or
3    accommodations, a description of the reasonable
4    accommodation or accommodations medically advisable, the
5    date the reasonable accommodation or accommodations became
6    medically advisable, and the probable duration of the
7    reasonable accommodation or accommodations. It is the duty
8    of the individual seeking a reasonable accommodation or
9    accommodations to submit to the employer any documentation
10    that is requested in accordance with this paragraph.
11    Notwithstanding the provisions of this paragraph, the
12    employer may require documentation by the employee's
13    health care provider to determine compliance with other
14    laws. The employee and employer shall engage in a timely,
15    good faith, and meaningful exchange to determine effective
16    reasonable accommodations.
17        (2) For an employer to deny employment opportunities or
18    benefits to or take adverse action against an otherwise
19    qualified job applicant or employee, including a
20    part-time, full-time, or probationary employee, if the
21    denial or adverse action is based on the need of the
22    employer to make reasonable accommodations to the known
23    medical or common conditions related to the pregnancy or
24    childbirth of the applicant or employee.
25        (3) For an employer to require a job applicant or
26    employee, including a part-time, full-time, or

 

 

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1    probationary employee, affected by pregnancy, childbirth,
2    or medical or common conditions related to pregnancy or
3    childbirth to accept an accommodation when the applicant or
4    employee did not request an accommodation and the applicant
5    or employee chooses not to accept the employer's
6    accommodation.
7        (4) For an employer to require an employee, including a
8    part-time, full-time, or probationary employee, to take
9    leave under any leave law or policy of the employer if
10    another reasonable accommodation can be provided to the
11    known medical or common conditions related to the pregnancy
12    or childbirth of an employee. No employer shall fail or
13    refuse to reinstate the employee affected by pregnancy,
14    childbirth, or medical or common conditions related to
15    pregnancy or childbirth to her original job or to an
16    equivalent position with equivalent pay and accumulated
17    seniority, retirement, fringe benefits, and other
18    applicable service credits upon her signifying her intent
19    to return or when her need for reasonable accommodation
20    ceases, unless the employer can demonstrate that the
21    accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the
22    ordinary operation of the business of the employer.
23    For the purposes of this subdivision (J), "reasonable
24accommodations" means reasonable modifications or adjustments
25to the job application process or work environment, or to the
26manner or circumstances under which the position desired or

 

 

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1held is customarily performed, that enable an applicant or
2employee affected by pregnancy, childbirth, or medical or
3common conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth to be
4considered for the position the applicant desires or to perform
5the essential functions of that position, and may include, but
6is not limited to: more frequent or longer bathroom breaks,
7breaks for increased water intake, and breaks for periodic
8rest; private non-bathroom space for expressing breast milk and
9breastfeeding; seating; assistance with manual labor; light
10duty; temporary transfer to a less strenuous or hazardous
11position; the provision of an accessible worksite; acquisition
12or modification of equipment; job restructuring; a part-time or
13modified work schedule; appropriate adjustment or
14modifications of examinations, training materials, or
15policies; reassignment to a vacant position; time off to
16recover from conditions related to childbirth; and leave
17necessitated by pregnancy, childbirth, or medical or common
18conditions resulting from pregnancy or childbirth.
19    For the purposes of this subdivision (J), "undue hardship"
20means an action that is prohibitively expensive or disruptive
21when considered in light of the following factors: (i) the
22nature and cost of the accommodation needed; (ii) the overall
23financial resources of the facility or facilities involved in
24the provision of the reasonable accommodation, the number of
25persons employed at the facility, the effect on expenses and
26resources, or the impact otherwise of the accommodation upon

 

 

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1the operation of the facility; (iii) the overall financial
2resources of the employer, the overall size of the business of
3the employer with respect to the number of its employees, and
4the number, type, and location of its facilities; and (iv) the
5type of operation or operations of the employer, including the
6composition, structure, and functions of the workforce of the
7employer, the geographic separateness, administrative, or
8fiscal relationship of the facility or facilities in question
9to the employer. The employer has the burden of proving undue
10hardship. The fact that the employer provides or would be
11required to provide a similar accommodation to similarly
12situated employees creates a rebuttable presumption that the
13accommodation does not impose an undue hardship on the
14employer.
15    No employer is required by this subdivision (J) to create
16additional employment that the employer would not otherwise
17have created, unless the employer does so or would do so for
18other classes of employees who need accommodation. The employer
19is not required to discharge any employee, transfer any
20employee with more seniority, or promote any employee who is
21not qualified to perform the job, unless the employer does so
22or would do so to accommodate other classes of employees who
23need it.
24    (K) Notice.
25        (1) For an employer to fail to post or keep posted in a
26    conspicuous location on the premises of the employer where

 

 

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1    notices to employees are customarily posted, or fail to
2    include in any employee handbook information concerning an
3    employee's rights under this Article, a notice, to be
4    prepared or approved by the Department, summarizing the
5    requirements of this Article and information pertaining to
6    the filing of a charge, including the right to be free from
7    unlawful discrimination and the right to certain
8    reasonable accommodations. The Department shall make the
9    documents required under this paragraph available for
10    retrieval from the Department's website.
11        (2) Upon notification of a violation of paragraph (1)
12    of this subdivision (K), the Department may launch a
13    preliminary investigation. If the Department finds a
14    violation, the Department may issue a notice to show cause
15    giving the employer 30 days to correct the violation. If
16    the violation is not corrected, the Department may initiate
17    a charge of a civil rights violation.
18(Source: P.A. 97-596, eff. 8-26-11; 98-212, eff. 8-9-13;
1998-1050, eff. 1-1-15.)
 
20    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
21becoming law.