Workforce Bulletin

The Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection (BACP) Office of Labor Standards (OLS) adopted new rules for administering Chicago’s Fair Workweek and Paid Leave and Paid Sick and Safe Leave Ordinances. The new rules were published on May 18, 2026, and went into effect on June 1, 2026. A separate blog post addressing the new rules to the Fair Workweek Ordinance can be found here. Without re-hashing all the details about compliance obligations under the Paid Leave and Paid Sick and Safe Leave Ordinance, here’s a summary of what’s important to know as these rules go into force.

Employers in Chicago: new rules may require your attention, especially if you employ workers in cooperation with another employer or operate within any of the industries covered by the city’s Fair Workweek Ordinance.

Recent amendments to the Illinois Workplace Transparency Act (WTA) (HB 3638) require changes to Illinois employment agreements and separation agreements, beginning as of January 1, 2026.

The WTA, first enacted in response to the #MeToo movement, imposes certain procedural requirements on employment-related contracts for Illinois employees. These amendments impose additional restrictions, the most significant of which involves confidentiality clauses in separation agreements.