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Table of contents

This Illinois Human Resources Manual is offered to you for free. Find state specific laws and regulations below.

An introduction - features of the HR Library

Employment laws are modified every year and staying up to date on all the changes can be a full-time job – and is, for human resource professionals and employers. For the experienced attorneys who write our books, this manual is a way to help educate businesses to stay on the right side of employment law, minimize the risk of litigation, and avoid costly penalties. This reference has been organized to fit your needs and outfitted with numerous features to help you make sure your policies and business practices follow the law.

  • The snapshot and compliance threshold - We’ve gathered a list of questions (provided in An HR audit snapshot) that will create a snapshot for you to use in determining whether or not you are complying with fundamental employment laws. If you do not know an answer to one of the questions, a page reference is provided so you can quickly find what you need to know and what you need to do. Compliance thresholds is formatted to help you determine what laws you are responsible for complying with, based upon the number of employees you have.
  • The visual aids - To make this a more functional resource, we’ve displayed the subject matter in lists, tables, and charts. Don’t miss:
  • And look out for:
  • The content - While we’ve worked to make this resource as effective as possible – providing efficient ways to find specific content without expecting busy employers to sit down and read the text straight through – we want every chapter to be readable and uncomplicated, letting you know what to do, how to do it, and a little bit of why. In case you don’t have time to read the whole book, here are some current hot topics we’d like to highlight:
    • Illinois employers are now restricted in their use of video interviews when screening job applicants. See Recruiting and hiring, Video interviews.
    • Recent amendments to the Illinois Equal Pay Act require employers of 100 or more employees to obtain and equal pay registration certificate from the Illinois Department of Labor. See Chapter
    • Workplace harassment is being addressed in a big way. Illinois recently amended the Illinois Human Rights Act to include mandatory sexual harassment training. In addition, employers are now required to disclose any harassment settlements to the state under the new Workplace Transparency Act. See Workplace harassment.
    • Employers who collect biometric information from their employees and/or customers should be aware of recent court rulings that affect the handling of such information. More information can be found in Privacy rights.
    • The Illinois Nursing Mothers in the Workplace Act has been amended to require paid break times for lactation as well as a designated lactation room. See Other types of leave
  • The connections - This resource contains contact information – including websites, email addresses, phone numbers, and fax numbers for many government departments and local organizations. In-text mentions of external sources are followed by links to make it easier for you to apply our text to your own business. To continue the dialogue, look out for sections entitled, Where to go for more information like in Plant closings, mass layoffs and other reductions in force. Think of it as the most detailed address book you’ve ever owned!

We’ve tried to make every part of this manual useful, not just the beginning; so don’t dismiss the number of valuable resources for your use. Topics include Recordkeeping and Posting requirements, both complete with federal and state regulations. Find the exact information you need, compiled and at hand, ready for your use.

So, relax – from hiring to firing, this manual will be your personal bookshelf HR manager!