103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
SB3735

 

Introduced 2/9/2024, by Sen. Ram Villivalam

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
820 ILCS 40/2  from Ch. 48, par. 2002
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 that every employee has a legal right to inspect, copy, and receive copies of specified documents. 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. Makes other changes. Repeals provisions concerning personnel record inspections by representatives of the employee.


LRB103 36782 SPS 66892 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

SB3735LRB103 36782 SPS 66892 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, 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, or 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) any employee handbooks that the employer made

 

 

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1    available to the employee or that the employee
2    acknowledged receiving; and
3        (4) any employer policies or procedures that the
4    employer contends the employee was subject to and that
5    concern qualifications for employment,
6    promotion,transfer, compensation, benefits, perquisites,
7    discharge or other disciplinary action.
8    The inspection right encompasses personnel documents in
9the possession of a person, corporation, partnership, or other
10association having a contractual agreement with the employer
11to keep or supply a personnel record. An employee does not have
12a legal right under this Act to the documents categorized may
13request all or any part of his or her records, except as
14provided in Section 10.
15    (b) The employer shall, upon an employee's request, grant
16at least 2 inspection requests by an employee in a calendar
17year to inspect, copy, and receive copies of records to which
18that employee has a legal right under this Act. Requests must
19be when requests are made at reasonable intervals, unless
20otherwise provided in a collective bargaining agreement. The
21employer may require the request to be in writing. Electronic
22communications such as e-mail and text messages suffice as
23written requests under this subsection. The written request
24need only apprise a reasonable employer that the employee is
25requesting some or all of the employee's records. The employee
26may specify in the employee's request if he or she is

 

 

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1requesting to inspect, to copy, and to receive copies of the
2records. The employee may request that copies be provided in
3hardcopy or in a reasonable and commercially available
4electronic format. The employee may request that the
5inspection, copying, or receipt of copies be performed by that
6employee's representative, including, but not limited to,
7family members, clergy, accountants, lawyers, union stewards,
8other union officials, translators, representatives of
9workers' centers, and members of the press. The employer shall
10comply with the employee's request provide the employee with
11the inspection opportunity within 7 working days after the
12employee makes the request or if the employer can reasonably
13show that such deadline cannot be met, the employer shall have
14an additional 7 days to comply. Any in-person The inspection
15shall take place at a location reasonably near the employee's
16place of employment and during normal working hours. The
17employer may allow the inspection to take place at a time other
18than working hours or at a place other than where the records
19are maintained if that time or place would be more convenient
20for the employee. Nothing in this Act shall be construed as a
21requirement that an employee be permitted to remove any part
22of such personnel records or any part of such records from the
23place on the employer's premises where it is made available
24for inspection. Each employer shall retain the right to
25protect his records from loss, damage, or alteration to insure
26the integrity of the records. The employer shall, upon the

 

 

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1employee's written request, email or mail a copy of the
2requested record to the employee to any by the email address or
3mailing address identified by the employee for the purpose of
4receiving the copy of requested record. An employer may charge
5a fee for providing a copy of the requested record. The fee
6shall be limited to the actual cost of duplicating the
7requested record and shall not include the imputed costs of
8time spent duplicating the information, the purchase or rental
9of copying machines, the purchase or rental of computer
10equipment, the purchase, rental, or licensing of software, and
11similar expenses.
12(Source: P.A. 103-201, eff. 1-1-24.)
 
13    (820 ILCS 40/9)  (from Ch. 48, par. 2009)
14    Sec. 9. An employer shall not gather or keep a record of an
15employee's associations, political activities, publications,
16communications or nonemployment activities, unless the
17employee submits the information in writing or gives
18authorizes the employer express, written consent when the
19employer keeps in writing to keep or gathers gather the
20information. This prohibition shall not apply to (i)
21activities or associations with individuals or groups involved
22in the physical, sexual, or other exploitation of a minor or
23(ii) the activities that occur on the employer's premises or
24during the employee's working hours with that employer which
25interfere with the performance of the employee's duties or the

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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1plus costs, reasonable attorney's fees, and actual damages.
2    (e) Any employer or his agent who violates the provisions
3of this Act is guilty of a petty offense.
4    (f) Any employer or his agent, or the officer or agent of
5any private employer, who discharges or in any other manner
6discriminates against any employee because that employee has
7made a complaint to his employer, or to the Director or his
8authorized representative, or because that employee has caused
9to be instituted or is about to cause to be instituted any
10proceeding under or related to this Act, or because that
11employee has testified or is about to testify in an
12investigation or proceeding under this Act, is guilty of a
13petty offense.
14(Source: P.A. 84-525.)
 
15    (820 ILCS 40/5 rep.)
16    Section 10. The Personnel Record Review Act is amended by
17repealing Section 5.