Illinois businesses will soon have to adhere to new employment rules.
Illinois businesses will soon have to adhere to new employment rules. Gov. J. B. Pritzker signed the Workplace Transparency Act (the “WTA”) into law. The act, which applies to nearly every employer in Illinois:
- Requires annual sexual harassment training.
- Restricts non-disclosure and non-disparagement (unless made mutual) language in employment agreements, separation agreements, and settlement agreements.
- Restricts an employer’s ability to require mandatory arbitration of sexual harassment or other discrimination claims.
- Directs employers to report settlements and adverse judgments to the Illinois Department of Human Rights.
Most of the provisions won’t take effect until Jan. 1, but additional requirements for restaurants, bars, hotels, and casinos take effect immediately.
The Illinois Department of Human Rights provides online training videos on sexual harassment and other workplace issues, but employers will have to make sure their employee manuals are updated and that training is available to all workers.
