NewsBill HB4572 Seeks to Amend Illinois Human Rights Act: What Would This Mean For Employers?

 
The Illinois Human Rights Act (IHRA) protects employees from discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in the workplace.  Previously, the IHRA only applied to employees with fifteen or more employees; however, that threshold requirement is set to change if HB4572 is passed and signed into law.
The bill amends the IHRA to provide that “employer” includes any person employing one or more employee (instead of 15) within Illinois during 20 or more calendar weeks within thecalendar year preceding the alleged violation.  This amendment effectively expands the applicability of the IHRA to more employers by decreasing the threshold amount of employees.
According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, there are about 220,000 small businesses throughout the state which employ anywhere between 1-19 workers.  If passed, this legislation will open small businesses up to potential discrimination, harassment or retaliation claims from employees.  Therefore, small business owners must be aware of this legislation and be prepared to update employee policies within their organization. 
Tristan & Cervantes has advised clients in crafting employment policies and in providing training to management personnel to handle employee complaints.  If you are a small business and have questions regarding your organization’s current policies, please contact our office at info@tristanlegal.com or 312.345.9200.