Several local communities are taking formal action in advance of a new state law requiring a certain amount of paid leave time for some employees.
Last March, Governor J.B. Pritzker signed the Illinois Paid Leave For All Workers Act requiring employers to allow up to 40 hours of paid leave over a 12-month period to employees that can be taken without providing documentation to their employer.
The law includes municipal employees but exempts employees of public works union, park districts and school districts.
In advance of the new law’s enactment, many Illinois municipalities are using their “home rule” authority to opt out of the upcoming law. Winnetka, Wilmette and Northfield all have “home rule” authority.
(Home rule municipalities in Illinois may utilize any power or perform any function unless prohibited under state law pertaining to local government.)
In Winnetka, the Village Council unanimously voted in November to “opt out” of the paid leave law.
Assistant Village Manager Kristin Kazenas said the village already provides paid leave benefits that are more generous than those under the upcoming law.
“The unfunded mandate required by this Act would place undue financial and operational burdens on the village,” Kazenas said at a Nov. 21 board meeting.
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The Village Council unanimously supported the staff recommendation to opt out.
“It seems like a no brainer,” Village President Chris Rintz said.
Wilmette Village Manager Michael Braiman said his village also intends to opt out.
“While nearly all village employees receive more paid time off than is required by the law, we will be amending our personnel manual to ensure that all employees receive at least what is required under the law,” Braiman wrote in an email.
In Northfield, Interim Village Manager Tim Frenzer said the village board would consider at their Dec. 5 meeting a local ordinance for a paid leave law in place of the new state law. Frenzer said that the new law would only cover village employees and not private employers.
Neither Glencoe nor Kenilworth has home rule authority and therefore they do not have the option to opt out of the state law.
Glencoe Village Manager Phil Kiraly said an ordinance based on a model crafted by the Illinois Municipal League for non-home rule communities would be presented at the Dec. 21 village board meeting.
“We are planning to structure the ordinance to accommodate some structure around how the law will impact our employees within the limited guidance we have received from the State of Illinois,” Kiraly wrote.
Kenilworth Village Manager Patrick Brennan noted his staff is preparing for the law change.
“We have been looking at the impacts and it will primarily be with our permanent part-time staff (community service officers and police officers),” Brennan wrote. “The initial cost implications are not significant, but we may have other operational and overtime impacts when the earned time is utilized.”