103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB3763

 

Introduced 2/17/2023, by Rep. Will Guzzardi

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
820 ILCS 40/2  from Ch. 48, par. 2002
820 ILCS 40/3  from Ch. 48, par. 2003
820 ILCS 40/9  from Ch. 48, par. 2009
820 ILCS 40/12  from Ch. 48, par. 2012
820 ILCS 40/5 rep.

    Amends the Personnel Record Review Act. Provides for specific documents that every employee has a legal right to inspect and copy. Provides that an employer shall not include the imputed costs of time spent duplicating the information, purchasing or renting a copying machine, purchasing or renting computer equipment, or purchasing, renting, or licensing software in a fee for providing a copy of the documents. Provides that an employee may bring an action in circuit court regardless of whether that employee has filed a complaint concerning the same violation with the Department of Labor. Authorizes an employee to file a complaint with the Department regardless of whether the employee pursued or is pursuing an action for the same violation in circuit court. Repeals provisions concerning personnel record inspections by representatives of the employee.


LRB103 30532 DTM 56965 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB3763LRB103 30532 DTM 56965 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 Personnel Record Review Act is amended by
5changing Sections 2, 3, 9, and 12 as follows:
 
6    (820 ILCS 40/2)  (from Ch. 48, par. 2002)
7    Sec. 2. Open Records.
8    (a) Every employee has a legal right under this Act to
9inspect, copy, and receive copies of the following documents:
10employer shall, upon an employee's request which the employer
11may require be in writing on a form supplied by the employer,
12permit the employee to inspect
13        (1) any personnel documents which are, have been or
14    are intended to be used in determining that employee's
15    qualifications for employment, promotion, transfer,
16    additional compensation, benefits, perquisites,
17    discharge, or other disciplinary action, except as
18    provided in Section 10;
19        (2) any contracts or agreements that the employee
20    signed or that the employer maintains the manifested
21    intent of the employee to be bound or that the employer
22    maintains are legally binding on the employee;
23        (3) job descriptions for any position held by the

 

 

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1    employee or any position for which the employee applied;
2        (4) any employee handbooks that the employer made
3    available to the employee or that the employee
4    acknowledged recovery;
5        (5) any employer policies or procedures that the
6    employer contends the employee was subject to and that
7    concern qualifications for employment, promotion,
8    transfer, compensation, benefits, perquisites, discharge,
9    or other disciplinary action;
10        (6) press releases, announcements, internet postings,
11    or social-media posts about or concerning the employee;
12    and
13        (7) reports by or concerning the employee alleging
14    harassment or discrimination related to a protected class
15    as defined by the Illinois Human Rights Act; retaliation
16    under State, federal, or local law; failure to pay wages
17    or other compensation under the Illinois Wage Payment and
18    Collection Act; ethical violations; any code of conduct
19    violation; any violation of the rules or standards of any
20    professional organization, self-regulatory organization,
21    accrediting organization, or certifying organization; and
22    any violation of any federal, State, local, or foreign
23    law, ordinance, rule, or regulation.
24    The inspection right encompasses personnel documents in
25the possession of a person, corporation, partnership, or other
26association having a contractual agreement with the employer

 

 

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1to keep or supply a personnel record. An employee does not have
2a legal right under this Act to the documents categorized may
3request all or any part of his or her records, except as
4provided in Section 10.
5    (b) The employer shall, upon an employee's request, grant
6at least 2 inspection requests by an employee in a calendar
7year to inspect, copy, and receive copies of records to which
8that employee has a legal right under this Act. Requests must
9be when requests are made at reasonable intervals, unless
10otherwise provided in a collective bargaining agreement. The
11employer may require the request to be in writing. Electronic
12communications such as email and text messages suffice as
13written requests under this subsection. The written request
14need only apprise a reasonable employer that the employee is
15requesting some or all of the employee's records. The employee
16may specify in the employee's request if the employee is
17requesting to inspect, to copy, or to receive copies of the
18records. The employee may request that copies be provided in
19hardcopy or in a reasonable and commercially available
20electronic format. The employee may request that the
21inspection, copying, or receipt of copies be performed by that
22employee's representative, including, but not limited to,
23family members, clergy, accountants, lawyers, union stewards,
24other union officials, translators, representatives of
25workers' centers, or members of the press. The employer shall
26comply with the employee's request provide the employee with

 

 

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1the inspection opportunity within 7 working days after the
2employee makes the request or if the employer can reasonably
3show that such deadline cannot be met, the employer shall have
4an additional 7 days to comply. Any in-person The inspection
5shall take place at a location reasonably near the employee's
6place of employment and during normal working hours. The
7employer may allow the inspection to take place at a time other
8than working hours or at a place other than where the records
9are maintained if that time or place would be more convenient
10for the employee. Nothing in this Act shall be construed as a
11requirement that an employee be permitted to remove any part
12of such personnel records or any part of such records from the
13place on the employer's premises where it is made available
14for inspection. Each employer shall retain the right to
15protect his records from loss, damage, or alteration to insure
16the integrity of the records. If an employee demonstrates that
17he or she is unable to review his or her personnel record at
18the employing unit, the employer shall, upon the employee's
19written request, mail a copy of the requested record to the
20employee.
21(Source: P.A. 83-1362.)
 
22    (820 ILCS 40/3)  (from Ch. 48, par. 2003)
23    Sec. 3. Copies. After the review time provided in Section
242, an employee may obtain a copy of the information or part of
25the information contained in the employee's personnel record.

 

 

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1An employer may charge a fee for providing a copy of the such
2information requested by the employee. The fee shall be
3limited to the actual cost of duplicating the information and
4shall not include the imputed costs of time spent duplicating
5the information, purchasing or renting a copying machine,
6purchasing or renting computer equipment, or purchasing,
7renting, or licensing software.
8(Source: P.A. 83-1104.)
 
9    (820 ILCS 40/9)  (from Ch. 48, par. 2009)
10    Sec. 9. An employer shall not gather or keep a record of an
11employee's associations, political activities, publications,
12communications or nonemployment activities, unless the
13employee submits the information in writing or gives
14authorizes the employer express, written consent when the
15employer keeps or gathers in writing to keep or gather the
16information. This prohibition shall not apply to (i)
17activities or associations with individuals or groups involved
18in the physical, sexual, or other exploitation of a minor or
19(ii) the activities that occur on the employer's premises or
20during the employee's working hours with that employer which
21interfere with the performance of the employee's duties or the
22duties of other employees or activities, regardless of when
23and where occurring, which constitute criminal conduct or may
24reasonably be expected to harm the employer's property,
25operations or business, or could by the employee's action

 

 

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1cause the employer financial liability. A record which is kept
2by the employer as permitted under this Section shall be part
3of the personnel record.
4(Source: P.A. 101-531, eff. 8-23-19.)
 
5    (820 ILCS 40/12)  (from Ch. 48, par. 2012)
6    Sec. 12. Administration and enforcement of Act.
7    (a) The Director of Labor or his authorized representative
8shall administer and enforce the provisions of this Act. The
9Director of Labor may issue rules and regulations necessary to
10administer and enforce the provisions of this Act.
11    (b) If an employee alleges that he or she has been denied
12his or her rights under this Act, he or she may file a
13complaint with the Department of Labor. The Department shall
14investigate the complaint and shall have authority to request
15the issuance of a search warrant or subpoena to inspect the
16files of the employer, if necessary. The Department shall
17attempt to resolve the complaint by conference, conciliation,
18or persuasion. If the complaint is not so resolved and the
19Department finds the employer has violated the Act, the
20Department may commence an action in the circuit court to
21enforce the provisions of this Act including an action to
22compel compliance. The circuit court for the county in which
23the complainant resides, in which the complainant is employed,
24or in which the personnel record is maintained shall have
25jurisdiction in such actions.

 

 

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1    (c) If an employer violates this Act, an employee may
2commence an action in the circuit court to enforce the
3provisions of this Act, including actions to compel
4compliance, where efforts to resolve the employee's complaint
5concerning such violation by conference, conciliation or
6persuasion pursuant to subsection (b) have failed and the
7Department has not commenced an action in circuit court to
8redress such violation. The circuit court for the county in
9which the complainant resides, in which the complainant is
10employed, or in which the personnel record is maintained shall
11have jurisdiction in such actions. An employee may bring an
12action in circuit court regardless of whether that employee
13has filed a complaint concerning the same violation with the
14Department and an employee may file a complaint with the
15Department regardless of whether the employee pursued or is
16pursuing an action for the same violation in circuit court.
17    (d) Failure to comply with an order of the court may be
18punished as contempt. In addition, the court shall award an
19employee prevailing in an action pursuant to this Act the
20following damages:
21        (1) Actual damages plus costs.
22        (2) For a willful and knowing violation of this Act,
23    $200 plus costs, reasonable attorney's fees, and actual
24    damages.
25    (e) Any employer or his agent who violates the provisions
26of this Act is guilty of a petty offense.

 

 

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1        (3) Reasonable attorney's fees and costs.
2    (f) Any employer or his agent, or the officer or agent of
3any private employer, who discharges or in any other manner
4discriminates against any employee because that employee has
5made a complaint to his employer, or to the Director or his
6authorized representative, or because that employee has caused
7to be instituted or is about to cause to be instituted any
8proceeding under or related to this Act, or because that
9employee has testified or is about to testify in an
10investigation or proceeding under this Act, is guilty of a
11petty offense.
12(Source: P.A. 84-525.)
 
13    (820 ILCS 40/5 rep.)
14    Section 10. The Personnel Record Review Act is amended by
15repealing Section 5.