Illinois Worker Rights
Illinois has strong protections for wages, leave, temp workers and the right to bargain collectively, which is written into the state constitution.
- Illinois
Pay
- Minimum wage: $15.00 per hour statewide since 2025. Chicago and Cook County set their own rates.
- Overtime: 1.5x over 40 hours a week.
- Wage Payment and Collection Act: requires timely pay, limits deductions, and requires final pay by the next regular payday.
- Prevailing Wage Act: covers public works construction by state and local public bodies.
Rest and leave
- One Day Rest in Seven Act: at least 24 consecutive hours of rest each workweek, and a 20-minute meal break for shifts of 7.5 hours or more.
- Paid Leave for All Workers Act: most workers earn up to 40 hours of paid leave a year for any reason (Chicago and Cook County have their own rules).
Temp and day labor
The Day and Temporary Labor Services Act requires agencies to provide clear pay information and safety training, limits transportation charges, requires host employers to give site-specific training, and in some cases requires equal pay and benefits with direct employees after a set period. See Temp & Staffing Workers.
Organizing
The Illinois Workers’ Rights Amendment (2022) guarantees workers the fundamental right to organize and bargain collectively. Illinois is not a right-to-work state.
Where to file
- Wage claims: Illinois Department of Labor
- Discrimination: Illinois Department of Human Rights
- Safety (private employers): federal OSHA; Illinois OSHA covers public employees
Standards & references
Last updated: