By Paul Yovanic and Kristine R. Argentine
Seyfarth Synopsis: We are writing to inform you of significant legislative developments regarding the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) that may impact your operations in Illinois.
Last week, the Illinois Senate took a decisive step by passing Senate Bill 2979, aimed at refining the statutory damages outlined in BIPA to
Continue Reading Illinois BIPA Legislative Update Regarding Damages
Seyfarth Synopsis: Illinois joined the exclusive club of now three states that require employers to offer paid leave for any reason when Governor J.B. Pritzker signed the Paid Leave for Workers Act last week. The Act takes effect on January 1, 2024. Illinois employees will be entitled to earn and use at least 40 hours
Continue Reading Paid Leave For Any Reason Now A Reality In Illinois
By Danielle Kays, Sarah Bauman, and James Nasiri
Seyfarth Synopsis: The Illinois Supreme Court issued its highly-anticipated decision in Tims v. Black Horse Carriers this week, ruling that a five-year statute of limitations applies to all claims under the Illinois Biometric Privacy Act (“BIPA”). The Court’s decision (available here) answers a years-old question regarding the
Continue Reading BIPA Floodgates Remain Open: Illinois Supreme Court Rules Generous 5-Year Statute Of Limitations Applies To All Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act Claims
By Tracy Billows, Sara Fowler, Ala Salameh, Josh Seidman, and Meg Toth
What You Need To Know:
By Danielle Kays and James Nasiri
Seyfarth Synopsis: On November 30, 2022, the Illinois Second District Appellate Court reversed the trial court’s grant of summary judgment in Defendant’s favor in a case entitled Mora v. J&M Plating, Inc. The lawsuit was initiated by a former employee of the Defendant metal finisher, alleging that Defendant violated the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy
Continue Reading Illinois Appellate Court Holds Businesses Must Implement Biometric Retention and Destruction Policies Before Collecting Biometric DataBy Pamela Q. Devata and Jennifer L. Mora
Seyfarth Synopsis: Each year, employers revisit and possibly modify their background screening policies and practices to account for newly enacted ban-the-box and other laws impacting background screening. Last year, we saw some major developments, which are highlighted in this blog.
Illinois
Illinois amended the Illinois Human Rights Act to make it
Continue Reading Another Busy Year for Employment-Purposed Background Checks: What Happened in 2021?
By James L. Curtis, Adam R. Young, and Craig B. Simonsen
Seyfarth Synopsis: Labelling the Delta-variant surge as the “Pandemic of the Unvaccinated,” on August 26, 2021, Illinois Governor J.B. Prtizker announced that Illinois residents must wear masks indoors, and that school and health care staff must be vaccinated.
Cook County and the City of Chicago both had
Continue Reading Illinois Governor Announces Mask Mandate for All Indoor Settings, Regardless of Vaccination
By Sara Fowler
Seyfarth Synopsis: On April 21, 2021, the Chicago City Council unanimously passed an ordinance prohibiting retaliation against any employee who takes leave from work to get a COVID-19 vaccine, and requiring any employer that mandates its employees receive the vaccine to provide up to four hours of paid time off per dose.
Effective April 21, 2021,
Continue Reading The No Penalty Shot: Chicago Passes Vaccine Anti-Retaliation Ordinance
By Ada W. Dolph
Seyfarth Synopsis: Seyfarth has been working closely with the Illinois Chamber of Commerce to advance Illinois House Bill 559, sponsored by House Representatives Jim Durkin, Dan Caulkins, and Thomas M. Bennett. The bill has advanced out of Committee and is anticipated to be up for a vote this week. Seyfarth and the Chamber urge
Continue Reading Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) Legislative Alert: Contact Your Legislator Today to Urge Passage of House Bill 559 Amending BIPA
By Danielle R. Rabie, Megan P. Toth, and Erin Dougherty Foley
Seyfarth Synopsis: On February 19th and 26th, 2021, Illinois legislatures introduced new bills that, if passed, would get rid of at-will employment, only allowing employers to terminate employees for just-cause, and require severance pay for terminated employees, effective January 1, 2022.
On February 19th and February 26th,
Continue Reading An End to At-Will Employment in Illinois? Newly Introduced Legislation Seeks to do Just That