The Illinois General Assembly met last week in Special Session to pass legislation related to the COVID-19 pandemic. One of its priorities was to provide extended benefits to first responders and other front-line workers who are facing the threat of coronavirus exposure every day at work. Those changes to Chicago pensions, workers’ compensation, and PEDA benefits are detailed below, …
During its Special Session last week, the Illinois General Assembly did not decide when or how schools should open in light of the ongoing pandemic. However, the legislature did pass Senate Bill 1569, which made significant changes to the School Code in the event more school closures are needed. The bill also resolved certain teacher employment related issues that were …
by W. Anthony Andrews (Spring 2020 Newsletter) Employees dealing with issues of their health or their relatives’ health are entitled to job-protected leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). In a recent appellate decision, the court highlighted that employees are no longer necessarily required to give their employer direct notice of that need or desire in order to …
by Shawn Flaherty (Spring 2020 Newsletter) The 101st Legislative Session of the Illinois General Assembly just started its second year in January. The first year was a busy and productive session with single party control of the Governor’s office and both houses of the General Assembly. Governor J.B. Pritzker vetoed few bills, and several noteworthy public acts impacting the Illinois …
by Maureen A. Lemon (Spring 2020 Newsletter) Since the 2018 U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Janus v. AFSCME, public unions have sought to diminish the impact of that decision, which gave public employees the right to opt out of union membership. In a nod to Illinois public unions, Governor J.B. Pritzker signed into law Public Act 101-620 on December 20, …
by Carolyn Welch Clifford (Spring 2020 Newsletter) In a novel case decided earlier this year, the Illinois Appellate Court upheld the decision of a pension fund board of trustees to award line-of-duty surviving spouse benefits to the wife of a firefighter who died of cancer. In Village of Buffalo Grove v. Buffalo Grove Firefighters’ Pension Fund and Kim Hauber, 2020 …
by Karl R. Ottosen (Spring 2020 Newsletter) 2020 has come with new employment related matters which most of us never expected to face. One, which now seems ages ago, is the legalization of recreational cannabis in Illinois, which requires all employers to update policies and practices. Except for certain regulated transportation employees, CDL-licensees, and public safety personnel (and possibly employees …
Several new guidance documents were issued by Governor Pritzker and the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) at the end of the day on March 27, 2020. All of the documents may be found on the ISBE website at https://www.isbe.net/Lists/News/NewsDisplay.aspx?ID=1319. Here is a list of takeaways for your district as you navigate remote education beginning on or after March 31, …
The COVID-19 pandemic has created numerous challenges for employers, including local governments. We have been fielding numerous questions from our clients on a wide range of topics, including paid leave, safety procedures, meeting attendance, unemployment, e-learning, and more. As the daily press briefings from the president and the governor indicate, the situation continues to evolve, with these challenges likely remaining …
On March 18, 2020, President Donald Trump signed into law the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (H.R. 6201), an emergency measure to assist Americans during the COVID-19 outbreak. The Act provides many benefits, including two types of temporary employee benefits. All public and private employees are covered by those benefits, unless they work for companies with 500 or more employees. …
