HB3129 EnrolledLRB103 30957 SPS 57530 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 5. The Equal Pay Act of 2003 is amended by changing
5Sections 5, 10, 15, 20, and 30 as follows:
 
6    (820 ILCS 112/5)
7    Sec. 5. Definitions. As used in this Act:
8    "Director" means the Director of Labor.
9    "Department" means the Department of Labor.
10    "Employee" means any individual permitted to work by an
11employer.
12    "Employer" means an individual, partnership, corporation,
13association, business, trust, person, or entity for whom
14employees are gainfully employed in Illinois and includes the
15State of Illinois, any state officer, department, or agency,
16any unit of local government, and any school district.
17    "Pay scale and benefits" means the wage or salary, or the
18wage or salary range, and a general description of the
19benefits and other compensation, including, but not limited
20to, bonuses, stock options, or other incentives the employer
21reasonably expects in good faith to offer for the position,
22set by reference to any applicable pay scale, the previously
23determined range for the position, the actual range of others

 

 

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1currently holding equivalent positions, or the budgeted amount
2for the position, as applicable.
3(Source: P.A. 99-418, eff. 1-1-16.)
 
4    (820 ILCS 112/10)
5    Sec. 10. Prohibited acts.
6    (a) No employer may discriminate between employees on the
7basis of sex by paying wages to an employee at a rate less than
8the rate at which the employer pays wages to another employee
9of the opposite sex for the same or substantially similar work
10on jobs the performance of which requires substantially
11similar skill, effort, and responsibility, and which are
12performed under similar working conditions, except where the
13payment is made under:
14        (1) a seniority system;
15        (2) a merit system;
16        (3) a system that measures earnings by quantity or
17    quality of production; or
18        (4) a differential based on any other factor other
19    than: (i) sex or (ii) a factor that would constitute
20    unlawful discrimination under the Illinois Human Rights
21    Act, provided that the factor:
22            (A) is not based on or derived from a differential
23        in compensation based on sex or another protected
24        characteristic;
25            (B) is job-related with respect to the position

 

 

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1        and consistent with a business necessity; and
2            (C) accounts for the differential.
3    No employer may discriminate between employees by paying
4wages to an African-American employee at a rate less than the
5rate at which the employer pays wages to another employee who
6is not African-American for the same or substantially similar
7work on jobs the performance of which requires substantially
8similar skill, effort, and responsibility, and which are
9performed under similar working conditions, except where the
10payment is made under:
11        (1) a seniority system;
12        (2) a merit system;
13        (3) a system that measures earnings by quantity or
14    quality of production; or
15        (4) a differential based on any other factor other
16    than: (i) race or (ii) a factor that would constitute
17    unlawful discrimination under the Illinois Human Rights
18    Act, provided that the factor:
19            (A) is not based on or derived from a differential
20        in compensation based on race or another protected
21        characteristic;
22            (B) is job-related with respect to the position
23        and consistent with a business necessity; and
24            (C) accounts for the differential.
25    An employer who is paying wages in violation of this Act
26may not, to comply with this Act, reduce the wages of any other

 

 

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1employee.
2    Nothing in this Act may be construed to require an
3employer to pay, to any employee at a workplace in a particular
4county, wages that are equal to the wages paid by that employer
5at a workplace in another county to employees in jobs the
6performance of which requires equal skill, effort, and
7responsibility, and which are performed under similar working
8conditions.
9    (b) It is unlawful for any employer to interfere with,
10restrain, or deny the exercise of or the attempt to exercise
11any right provided under this Act. It is unlawful for any
12employer to discharge or in any other manner discriminate
13against any individual for inquiring about, disclosing,
14comparing, or otherwise discussing the employee's wages or the
15wages of any other employee, or aiding or encouraging any
16person to exercise his or her rights under this Act. It is
17unlawful for an employer to require an employee to sign a
18contract or waiver that would prohibit the employee from
19disclosing or discussing information about the employee's
20wages, salary, benefits, or other compensation. An employer
21may, however, prohibit a human resources employee, a
22supervisor, or any other employee whose job responsibilities
23require or allow access to other employees' wage or salary
24information from disclosing that information without prior
25written consent from the employee whose information is sought
26or requested.

 

 

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1    (b-5) It is unlawful for an employer or employment agency,
2or employee or agent thereof, to (1) screen job applicants
3based on their current or prior wages or salary histories,
4including benefits or other compensation, by requiring that
5the wage or salary history of an applicant satisfy minimum or
6maximum criteria, (2) request or require a wage or salary
7history as a condition of being considered for employment, as
8a condition of being interviewed, as a condition of continuing
9to be considered for an offer of employment, as a condition of
10an offer of employment or an offer of compensation, or (3)
11request or require that an applicant disclose wage or salary
12history as a condition of employment.
13    (b-10) It is unlawful for an employer to seek the wage or
14salary history, including benefits or other compensation, of a
15job applicant from any current or former employer. This
16subsection (b-10) does not apply if:
17        (1) the job applicant's wage or salary history is a
18    matter of public record under the Freedom of Information
19    Act, or any other equivalent State or federal law, or is
20    contained in a document completed by the job applicant's
21    current or former employer and then made available to the
22    public by the employer, or submitted or posted by the
23    employer to comply with State or federal law; or
24        (2) the job applicant is a current employee and is
25    applying for a position with the same current employer.
26    (b-15) Nothing in subsections (b-5) and (b-10) shall be

 

 

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1construed to prevent an employer or employment agency, or an
2employee or agent thereof, from:
3        (1) providing information about the wages, benefits,
4    compensation, or salary offered in relation to a position;
5    or
6        (2) engaging in discussions with an applicant for
7    employment about the applicant's expectations with respect
8    to wage or salary, benefits, and other compensation,
9    including unvested equity or deferred compensation that
10    the applicant would forfeit or have canceled by virtue of
11    the applicant's resignation from the applicant's current
12    employer. If, during such discussion, the applicant
13    voluntarily and without prompting discloses that the
14    applicant would forfeit or have canceled by virtue of the
15    applicant's resignation from the applicant's current
16    employer unvested equity or deferred compensation, an
17    employer may request the applicant to verify the aggregate
18    amount of such compensation by submitting a letter or
19    document stating the aggregate amount of the unvested
20    equity or deferred compensation from, at the applicant's
21    choice, one of the following: (1) the applicant's current
22    employer or (2) the business entity that administers the
23    funds that constitute the unvested equity or deferred
24    compensation.
25    (b-20) An employer is not in violation of subsections
26(b-5) and (b-10) when a job applicant voluntarily and without

 

 

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1prompting discloses his or her current or prior wage or salary
2history, including benefits or other compensation, on the
3condition that the employer does not consider or rely on the
4voluntary disclosures as a factor in determining whether to
5offer a job applicant employment, in making an offer of
6compensation, or in determining future wages, salary,
7benefits, or other compensation.
8    (b-25) It is unlawful for an employer with 15 or more
9employees to fail to include the pay scale and benefits for a
10position in any specific job posting. The inclusion of a
11hyperlink to a publicly viewable webpage that includes the pay
12scale and benefits satisfies the requirements for inclusion
13under this subsection. If an employer engages a third party to
14announce, post, publish, or otherwise make known a job
15posting, the employer shall provide the pay scale and
16benefits, or a hyperlink to the pay scale and benefits, to the
17third party and the third party shall include the pay scale and
18benefits, or a hyperlink to the pay scale and benefits, in the
19job posting. The third party is liable for failure to include
20the pay scale and benefits in the job posting, unless the third
21party can show that the employer did not provide the necessary
22information regarding pay scale and benefits. An employer
23shall announce, post, or otherwise make known all
24opportunities for promotion to all current employees no later
25than 14 calendar days after the employer makes an external job
26posting for the position, except for positions in the State of

 

 

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1Illinois workforce designated as exempt from competitive
2selection. Nothing in this subsection requires an employer to
3make a job posting. Posting of a relevant and up to date
4general benefits description in an easily accessible, central,
5and public location on an employer's website and referring to
6this posting in the job posting shall be deemed to satisfy the
7benefits posting requirement under this subsection. This
8subsection only applies to positions that (i) will be
9physically performed, at least in part, in Illinois or (ii)
10will be physically performed outside of Illinois, but the
11employee reports to a supervisor, office, or other work site
12in Illinois. Nothing in this subsection prohibits an employer
13or employment agency from asking an applicant about his or her
14wage or salary expectations for the position the applicant is
15applying for. An employer or employment agency shall disclose
16to an applicant for employment the pay scale and benefits to be
17offered for the position prior to any offer or discussion of
18compensation and at the applicant's request, if a public or
19internal posting for the job, promotion, transfer, or other
20employment opportunity has not been made available to the
21applicant. This subsection shall only apply to job postings
22that have been posted after the effective date of this
23amendatory Act of the 103rd General Assembly.
24    (b-30) An employer or an employment agency shall not
25refuse to interview, hire, promote, or employ, and shall not
26otherwise retaliate against, an applicant for employment or an

 

 

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1employee for exercising any rights under subsection (b-25).
2    (c) It is unlawful for any person to discharge or in any
3other manner discriminate against any individual because the
4individual:
5        (1) has filed any charge or has instituted or caused
6    to be instituted any proceeding under or related to this
7    Act;
8        (2) has given, or is about to give, any information in
9    connection with any inquiry or proceeding relating to any
10    right provided under this Act;
11        (3) has testified, or is about to testify, in any
12    inquiry or proceeding relating to any right provided under
13    this Act; or
14        (4) fails to comply with any wage or salary history
15    inquiry.
16(Source: P.A. 101-177, eff. 9-29-19; 102-277, eff. 1-1-22.)
 
17    (820 ILCS 112/15)
18    Sec. 15. Enforcement.
19    (a) The Director or his or her authorized representative
20shall administer and enforce the provisions of this Act. The
21Director of Labor shall adopt rules necessary to administer
22and enforce this Act.
23    (b) An employee, or former employee , or, for the purposes
24of a violation of subsection (b-25) of Section 10, any person
25that claims to be aggrieved by a violation of that subsection,

 

 

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1may file a complaint with the Department alleging a violation
2of this Act by submitting a signed, completed complaint form.
3All complaints shall be filed with the Department within one
4year from the date of the relevant violation underpayment.
5    (c) The Department has the power to conduct investigations
6in connection with the administration and enforcement of this
7Act and the authorized officers and employees of the
8Department are authorized to investigate and gather data
9regarding the wages, hours, and other conditions and practices
10of employment in any industry subject to this Act, and may
11enter and inspect such places and such records at reasonable
12times during regular business hours, question the employees
13and investigate the facts, conditions, practices, or matters
14as he or she may deem necessary or appropriate to determine
15whether any person has violated any provision of this Act, or
16which may aid in the enforcement of this Act.
17    (d) The Department may refer a complaint alleging a
18violation of this Act to the Department of Human Rights for
19investigation if the subject matter of the complaint also
20alleges a violation of the Illinois Human Rights Act and the
21Department of Human Rights has jurisdiction over the matter.
22When a complaint is referred to the Department of Human Rights
23under this subsection, the Department of Human Rights shall
24also file the complaint under the Illinois Human Rights Act
25and be the agency responsible for investigating the complaint.
26The Department shall review the Department of Human Rights'

 

 

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1investigation and findings to determine whether a violation of
2this Act has occurred or whether further investigation by the
3Department is necessary and take any necessary or appropriate
4action required to enforce the provisions of this Act. The
5Director of Labor and the Department of Human Rights shall
6adopt joint rules necessary to administer and enforce this
7subsection.
8(Source: P.A. 98-1051, eff. 1-1-15.)
 
9    (820 ILCS 112/20)
10    Sec. 20. Recordkeeping requirements. An employer subject
11to any provision of this Act shall make and preserve records
12that document the name, address, and occupation of each
13employee, the wages paid to each employee, the pay scale and
14benefits for each position, the job posting for each position,
15and any other information the Director may by rule deem
16necessary and appropriate for enforcement of this Act. An
17employer subject to any provision of this Act shall preserve
18those records for a period of not less than 5 years and shall
19make reports from the records as prescribed by rule or order of
20the Director, unless the records relate to an ongoing
21investigation or enforcement action under this Act, in which
22case the records must be maintained until their destruction is
23authorized by the Department or by court order.
24(Source: P.A. 96-467, eff. 8-14-09.)
 

 

 

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1    (820 ILCS 112/30)
2    Sec. 30. Violations; fines and penalties.
3    (a) If an employee is paid by his or her employer less than
4the wage to which he or she is entitled in violation of Section
510 or 11 of this Act, the employee may recover in a civil
6action the entire amount of any underpayment together with
7interest, compensatory damages if the employee demonstrates
8that the employer acted with malice or reckless indifference,
9punitive damages as may be appropriate, injunctive relief as
10may be appropriate, and the costs and reasonable attorney's
11fees as may be allowed by the court and as necessary to make
12the employee whole. At the request of the employee or on a
13motion of the Director, the Department may make an assignment
14of the wage claim in trust for the assigning employee and may
15bring any legal action necessary to collect the claim, and the
16employer shall be required to pay the costs incurred in
17collecting the claim. Every such action shall be brought
18within 5 years from the date of the underpayment. For purposes
19of this Act, "date of the underpayment" means each time wages
20are underpaid.
21    (a-5) If an employer violates subsection (b), (b-5),
22(b-10), or (b-20) of Section 10, the employee may recover in a
23civil action any damages incurred, special damages not to
24exceed $10,000, injunctive relief as may be appropriate, and
25costs and reasonable attorney's fees as may be allowed by the
26court and as necessary to make the employee whole. If special

 

 

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1damages are available, an employee may recover compensatory
2damages only to the extent such damages exceed the amount of
3special damages. Such action shall be brought within 5 years
4from the date of the violation.
5    (b) The Director is authorized to supervise the payment of
6the unpaid wages under subsection (a) or damages under
7subsection (b), (b-5), (b-10), or (b-20) of Section 10 owing
8to any employee or employees under this Act and may bring any
9legal action necessary to recover the amount of unpaid wages,
10damages, and penalties or to seek injunctive relief, and the
11employer shall be required to pay the costs. Any sums
12recovered by the Director on behalf of an employee under this
13Section shall be paid to the employee or employees affected.
14    (c) Employers who violate any provision of this Act or any
15rule adopted under the Act, except for a violation of
16subsection (b-25) of Section 10, are subject to a civil
17penalty for each employee affected as follows:
18        (1) An employer with fewer than 4 employees: first
19    offense, a fine not to exceed $500; second offense, a fine
20    not to exceed $2,500; third or subsequent offense, a fine
21    not to exceed $5,000.
22        (2) An employer with between 4 and 99 employees: first
23    offense, a fine not to exceed $2,500; second offense, a
24    fine not to exceed $3,000; third or subsequent offense, a
25    fine not to exceed $5,000.
26        (3) An employer with 100 or more employees who

 

 

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1    violates any Section of this Act except for Section 11
2    shall be fined up to $10,000 per employee affected. An
3    employer with 100 or more employees that is a business as
4    defined under Section 11 and commits a violation of
5    Section 11 shall be fined up to $10,000.
6    Before any imposition of a penalty under this subsection,
7an employer with 100 or more employees who violates item (b) of
8Section 11 and inadvertently fails to file an initial
9application or recertification shall be provided 30 calendar
10days by the Department to submit the application or
11recertification.
12    An employer or person who violates subsection (b), (b-5),
13(b-10), (b-20), or (c) of Section 10 is subject to a civil
14penalty not to exceed $5,000 for each violation for each
15employee affected.
16    (c-5) The Department may initiate investigations of
17alleged violations of subsection (b-25) of Section 10 upon
18receiving a complaint from any person that claims to be
19aggrieved by a violation of that subsection or at the
20Department's discretion. Any person that claims to be
21aggrieved by a violation of subsection (b-25) of Section 10
22may submit a complaint of an alleged violation of that
23subsection to the Department within one year after the date of
24the violation. If the Department has determined that a
25violation has occurred, it shall issue to the employer a
26notice setting forth the violation, the applicable penalty as

 

 

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1described in subsections (c-10) and (c-15), and the period to
2cure the violation as described in subsection (c-10).
3    (c-7) A job posting found to be in violation of subsection
4(b-25) of Section 10 shall be considered as one violating job
5posting regardless of the number of duplicative postings that
6list the job opening.
7    (c-10) The penalties for a job posting or batch of
8postings that are active at the time the Department issues a
9notice of violation for violating subsection (b-25) of Section
1010 are as follows:
11        (1) For a first offense, following a cure period of 14
12    days to remedy the violation, a fine not to exceed $500 at
13    the discretion of the Department. A first offense may be
14    either a single job posting that violates subsection
15    (b-25) of Section 10 or multiple job postings that violate
16    subsection (b-25) of Section 10 and are identified at the
17    same time by the Department. The Department shall have
18    discretion to waive any civil penalty under this
19    paragraph.
20        (2) For a second offense, following a cure period of 7
21    days to remedy the violation, a fine not to exceed $2,500
22    at the discretion of the Department. A second offense is a
23    single job posting that violates subsection (b-25) of
24    Section 10. The Department shall have discretion to waive
25    any civil penalty under this paragraph.
26        (3) For a third or subsequent offense, no cure period,

 

 

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1    a fine not to exceed $10,000 at the discretion of the
2    Department. A third or subsequent offense is a single job
3    posting that violates subsection (b-25) of Section 10. The
4    Department shall have discretion to waive any civil
5    penalty under this paragraph. If a company has had a third
6    offense, it shall incur automatic penalties without a cure
7    period for a period of 5 years, at the completion of which
8    any future offense shall count as a first offense. The
9    5-year period shall restart if, during that period, an
10    employer receives a subsequent notice of violation from
11    the Department.
12    (c-15) The penalties for a job posting or batch of job
13postings that are not active at the time the Department issues
14a notice of violation for violating subsection (b-25) of
15Section 10 are as follows:
16        (1) For a first offense, a fine not to exceed $250 at
17    the discretion of the Department. A first offense may be
18    either a single job posting that violates subsection
19    (b-25) of Section 10 or multiple job postings that violate
20    subsection (b-25) of Section 10 and are identified at the
21    same time by the Department. The Department shall have
22    discretion to waive any civil penalty under this
23    paragraph.
24        (2) For a second offense, a fine not to exceed $2,500
25    at the discretion of the Department. A second offense is a
26    single job posting that violates subsection (b-25) of

 

 

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1    Section 10. The Department shall have discretion to waive
2    any civil penalty under this paragraph.
3        (3) For a third or subsequent offense, a fine not to
4    exceed $10,000 at the discretion of the Department. A
5    third or subsequent offense is a single job posting that
6    violates subsection (b-25) of Section 10. The Department
7    shall have discretion to waive any civil penalty under
8    this paragraph.
9    For the purposes of this subsection, the Department,
10during its investigation of a complaint, shall make a
11determination as to whether a job posting is not active by
12considering the totality of the circumstances, including, but
13not limited to: (i) whether a position has been filled; (ii)
14the length of time a posting has been accessible to the public;
15(iii) the existence of a date range for which a given position
16is active; and (iv) whether the violating posting is for a
17position for which the employer is no longer accepting
18applications.
19    (d) In determining the amount of the penalty under this
20Section, the appropriateness of the penalty to the size of the
21business of the employer charged and the gravity of the
22violation shall be considered. The penalty may be recovered in
23a civil action brought by the Director in any circuit court.
24(Source: P.A. 101-177, eff. 9-29-19; 102-36, eff. 6-25-21.)
 
25    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect January
261, 2025.