Labor & Employment

Amends the Construction Site Temporary Restroom Facility Act. Changes the Act's short title to the Construction Site Temporary Restroom Facility and Sanitary Conditions for Menstruation and Lactation Act. Repeals a provision which specifies that separate toileting facilities are not required for males and females if individual portable toilet facilities are used by an owner of a portable building or building under construction to provide access to a restroom. Provides that, if a woman or an individual who menstruates is present on a work site and there are 10 or more workers of any gender at the work site, then a separate toilet facility shall be provided at the work site and designated for use by women and individuals who menstruate. Requires employers in the construction industry to provide their workers who menstruate and are performing construction activities on a work site with minimum sanitary conditions. Describes the required minimum sanitary conditions. Requires employers in the construction industry, upon request, to provide their workers who are lactating and performing construction activities on a work site with reasonable accommodations needed to express breast milk. Describes reasonable accommodations for lactation. Provides that, on or before January 1, 2027, the Department of Public Health shall provide guidance to employers on the accommodations to be provided. Authorizes employees of construction sites to call the certified local public health agency with jurisdiction over a construction site to request an inspection if noncompliance with the Act is suspected. Prohibits retaliation by employers if a call is made by an employee on a construction site for suspected noncompliance with the Act. Provides that any owner who fails or refuses to comply with the provisions of the Act commits a petty offense and is subject to a fine to be determined by the certified local public health agency (rather than only being subject to a petty offense). Defines "employer". Effective immediately.

Amends the Job Opportunities for Qualified Applicants Act. Provides that, unless driving is an essential job function or is related to a legitimate business purpose for a position, an employer or employment agency shall not: (1) refuse to hire, segregate, or act with respect to recruitment, hiring, promotion, renewal of employment, selection for training or apprenticeship, discharge, discipline, tenure or terms, or privileges or conditions of employment on the basis of an applicant or employee not possessing a driver's license; or (2) include a statement in a posting for a job opening for the position that an applicant must have a valid driver's license. Defines "driver's license". Effective January 1, 2027.

Amends the Public Employee Disability Act. Provides that, whenever an eligible employee suffers any injury or illness in the line of duty (rather than suffers any injury in the line of duty) which causes that employee to be unable to perform the employee's duties, the employee shall continue to be paid by the employing public entity on the same gross pay basis, inclusive of all pensionable salary, as the employee was paid before the injury (rather than paid by the employing public entity on the same basis as he was paid before the injury), with no deduction from and with continued accrual of any sick leave credits (rather than with no deduction from his sick leave credits) and specified other compensation, with other requirements. Makes technical changes.

Amends the Volunteer Emergency Worker Job Protection Act. Provides that employment protections for volunteer emergency workers apply to volunteer emergency workers participating in required training, including a prohibition on termination and penalizing (rather than only termination). Provides that the employer may not require the employee to take vacation time or other compensatory time in order to respond to an emergency or participate in training. Provides that the Act does not apply to any employer that is a municipality with a population of 15,000 or more (currently 7,500 or more). Makes conforming changes.

Amends the Right to Privacy in the Workplace Act. Provides that an employer enrolled in an Employment Eligibility Verification System, including the E-Verify program, shall not impose work authorization verification or re-verification requirements greater than those required by the Employment Eligibility Verification System. Provides that, if an employer receives notification from any federal agency or other outside third party not responsible for the enforcement of immigration law of a discrepancy as it relates to an employee's individual taxpayer identification number or other identifying documents, guarantees specified rights and protections to the employee. Makes changes in provisions concerning the administration and enforcement of the Act by the Department of Labor. Sets forth provisions concerning action for civil penalties brought by an interested party; private right of action; penalties; and review under the Administrative Review Law.

Amends the School Code. Allows a teacher to grieve the issuance of a warning regarding causes that are considered remediable pursuant to the applicable collective bargaining agreement to determine whether the school district had just cause in issuing the warning. Requires notice of remedial warnings to be narrowly specify the nature of the alleged misconduct that needs to be remedied. Provides that general allegations of unprofessional conduct are insufficient to link together otherwise unrelated offenses as related. Provides that under no circumstances shall a notice of remedial warning remain effective or within a teacher's personnel file or record for longer than 3 years from the date of the occurrence which gave rise to the issuance of the notice of remedial warning. Effective immediately.

Amends the Workplace Transparency Act. Provides that no contract, agreement, clause, covenant, waiver, or other document shall prohibit, prevent, or otherwise restrict an employee, prospective employee, or former employee from engaging in concerted activities to address work-related issues. Provides that any agreement, clause, covenant, or waiver that is a mutual condition of employment or continued employment may include provisions that would otherwise be against public policy if it acknowledges the right of the employee or prospective employee to engage in concerted activities to address work-related issues. Provides that an employee, prospective employee, or former employee and an employer may enter into a valid and enforceable settlement or termination agreement that includes promises of confidentiality related to alleged unlawful employment practices if the confidentiality provision expires no later than 5 years after the alleged unlawful employment practices occurred. Provides for the recovery of consequential damages incurred in challenging a contract for violation of the Act. Makes other changes.

Amends the State Universities Civil Service Act. Provides that nothing in the Act or any rules adopted under the Act prevents the parties to a collective bargaining agreement from agreeing to a provision that enhances employee rights. Effective immediately.

Amends the Transportation Benefits Program Act. Provides that the Act does not apply to a covered employer in the construction industry with respect to employees with whom the covered employer has entered into a bona fide collective bargaining agreement. Makes changes to definitions.

Amends the Victims' Economic Security and Safety Act. Provides that every employer covered under the Act shall permit an employee or an employee's family or household member who is a victim or alleged victim of domestic violence, sexual violence, gender violence, or any other crime of violence to utilize for personal use an employer-provided electronic device to document or communicate an act of domestic violence, sexual violence, gender violence, or any other crime of violence committed against the employee or the employee's family or household member. Requires employers to grant an employee who is a victim or alleged victim of domestic violence, sexual violence, gender violence, or any other crime of violence or an employee who has a family or household member who is a victim or alleged victim or domestic violence, sexual violence, gender violence, or any other crime of violence access to any photographs, voice or video recordings, sound recordings, or any other digital documents or communications stored on an employer-provided electronic device issued to the employee whenever such photographs, voice or video recordings, sound recordings, or other digital documents or communications are needed by the employee or the employee's family or household member during a criminal action or proceeding to establish or support an allegation of domestic violence, sexual violence, gender violence, or any other crime of violence. Provides that, if an employee is seriously injured or incapacitated, the employer shall grant access to the described materials to a family or household member of the employee who requests access from the employer and whose interests are not adverse to the employee as it relates to the domestic violence, sexual violence, gender violence, or other crime of violence. Provides that every employer covered by the Act shall post and keep posted, in conspicuous places where employees are employed, a notice, to be prepared or approved by the Director of Labor, explaining these provisions. Effective immediately.