Cook County, Illinois, Enacts Its Own Paid Leave for All, for Any Reason Law

Author: Robert S. Teachout

December 19, 2023

Beginning on December 31, 2023, employers in Cook County, Illinois, must provide paid leave to all employees who work in the county and allow the leave to be used for any reason an employee chooses.

Last week, the Cook County Board of Commissioners passed significant amendments to the county’s Earned Sick Leave Ordinance, creating the Cook County Paid Leave Ordinance (CCPLO). Under the CCPLO employees who work in the county or whose employers have a place of business in Cook County earn at least one hour of paid leave for every 40 hours worked. Unlike the Earned Sick Leave Ordinance, which prescribes how earned sick leave may be used, employees may use accrued CCPLO leave for any reason.

"Paid leave is essential for workers throughout Cook County,” said Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle in a written statement, saying that the CCPLO will ensure that employees have the freedom to take time off for any reason. 

Employees may accrue up to 40 hours of leave per year, and employers must allow carryover of unused leave from one year to the next. Employers may limit use of accrued paid leave until an employee has been employed for 90 days and may set the minimum use in no more than two-hour increments. The CCPLO also prohibits retaliation against employees for exercising or attempting to exercise their rights under the law.

The CCPLO aligns with the Illinois Paid Leave for All Workers Act (PLAWA) and will be enforced by the Cook County Commission on Human Rights. Employers that are covered by the CCPLO are not covered by the PLAWA. Although the CCPLO takes effect at the end of the year, enforcement will not begin until February 1, 2024.