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The “Paid Leave for All Workers Act” guarantees up to 40 hours
of paid leave per year for all employees. Under terms of the
legislation, full- and part-time workers can earn up to one
week’s worth of paid time off per year.
During debate on the House floor, State Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer,
R-Jacksonville, said the state spends millions to lure big
businesses to Illinois, but constantly places mandates on small
businesses
“My major concern are the little guys,” Davidsmeyer said. “It's
the mom-and-pops that have 5, 10, maybe 13 employees. This has a
significant impact on their budgets.”
Under terms of the bill, leave can be used for any reason.
Employers can still require employees to give notice before
taking time off.
Deputy Majority Leader Jehan Gordon-Booth, D-Peoria, sponsored
the bill in the House of the 102nd General Assembly. She said
many labor groups are on board with the measure, including the
Illinois Retail Merchants Association and the Illinois
Manufacturers' Association.
“Small businesses are the backbones of all of our communities
regardless of where we live at, but those employees are the
backbones of those small businesses,” Gordon-Booth said.
State Rep. Deanne Mazzochi, R-Elmhurst, agreed that the
legislation will be detrimental to the bottom line for small
businesses.
“What it's going to mean is that more businesses close, more
businesses can’t survive, and the very people you are trying to
protect won't have jobs at all,” Mazzochi said.
The governor is expected to sign the bill into law, which would
make Illinois the 15th state to have laws regarding mandatory
paid leave.
“Working families face enough challenges without the concern of
losing a day’s pay when life gets in the way,” Gov. J.B.
Pritzker said is a statement.
Kevin Bessler reports on statewide issues in
Illinois for the Center Square. He has over 30 years of
experience in radio news reporting throughout the Midwest.
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