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Legal Information: Illinois

Illinois Workplace Protections

Workplace Protections

Basic info about the law

Can I take time off from my job or change my schedule to deal with violence against me or a family/household member?

Under Illinois State law, an employee who is a victim of domestic, sexual, or gender violence, or a victim of a “crime of violence” or who has a family/household member who is a victim may take unpaid leave from work if:

  • the employee or his/her family or household member is experiencing an incident of domestic, sexual, gender violence, or any other “crime of violence;” or
  • to address domestic, sexual, gender violence, or any other “crime of violence.”1

For more information on what types of actions the law would allow you to take to deal with the violence, see What actions, specifically, can I use my time off from work to do?

1 820 ILCS § 180/20(a)(1)

What are the legal definitions of domestic, sexual, and gender violence, as well as a "crime of violence"?

For the purpose of this law, domestic violence is defined as:

  • physical abuse;
  • harassment;
  • intimidation of a dependent;
  • interference with personal liberty; or
  • willful deprivation.1

For the purpose of this law, sexual violence is defined as any act described in any of the following crimes:

For the purpose of this law, gender violence is defined as any of the following:

  • a criminal act that is committed, at least in part, on the basis of a person’s actual or perceived sex or gender;
  • a criminal act that involves a physical intrusion/invasion of a sexual nature under “coercive conditions;” or
  • a threat to commit one of the acts described above, which causes the victim to realistically fear that the act will be committed.3

For the purpose of this law, “crime of violence” is defined as any act described in the following sections of the Illinois Criminal Code:

Note: It doesn’t matter whether the abuser was ever arrested or prosecuted for committing any of the above criminal acts or not.

​1 820 ILCS 180/10(6); 60/103(1)
​2 820 ILCS 180/10(5), (20), (20.5)
3
820 ILCS 180/10(5), (12.5)
4 820 ILCS 180/10(2.5)

Who is considered to be a “family or household member” under the law?

A “family or household member” can be any of the following:

  • spouse
  • party to a civil union;
  • parent;
  • child;
  • grandparent;
  • grandchild;
  • sibling;
  • other person related by blood or by present or prior marriage or civil union;
  • other person who shares a relationship through a child;
  • any other individual whose close association with the employee is the equivalent of a family relationship as determined by the employee; and
  • persons jointly residing in the same household.1

1 820 ILCS § 180/10(12)

How many days can I take off from work?

If your employer employs 50 or more employees, you can take a total of 12 work-weeks of leave during any 12–month period. If your employer employs between 15 and 49 employees, you can take a total of eight work-weeks of leave during any 12–month period. If your employer employs between one and 14 employees, you can take a total of four work-weeks of leave during any 12–month period. However, if you have already taken 12 weeks off under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act, this law does not permit you to take additional time.1 The weeks can be taken consecutively, at different times (intermittently), or on a reduced work schedule.2 If you are dealing with a death in your family as a result of a crime of violence, the Illinois workplace protections law referred to throughout this section allows you to take up to two weeks, or ten work-days, of unpaid bereavement leave specifically for:

  1. going to a funeral, or an alternative to a funeral or wake;
  2. making necessary arrangements after the death; or
  3. grieving.3

To qualify, you must take this leave within 60 days of when you learn of your family member’s death.4

On a related note, Illinois has another law called the Family Bereavement Leave Act (“FBLA”) that applies if you have worked for your employer for at least 1,250 hours in the past 12 months. The FBLA allows you to use a two-week unpaid bereavement leave for the death of a family member for the three reasons described above and within the 60-day time period. The FBLA can be used up to three times per year if you suffer the deaths of multiple family members. FBLA leave may also be used after a stillbirth, miscarriage, unsuccessful reproductive procedure, unfinished adoption or surrogacy, or a diagnosis that negatively impacts fertility or a pregnancy.5 For additional information about the FBLA, see Family Bereavement Leave Act FAQs on the Illinois government website.

It’s important to know that taking bereavement leave under the FBLA will not decrease the available four to 12 weeks described above for dealing with incidents of domestic violence or any crime of violence for the first five reasons laid out in What actions, specifically, can I use my time off from work to do?6 This means that you could end up taking up to 18 unpaid weeks in one year if, for example, you have to deal with three different deaths and you also work for a large employer, and you need to take 12 weeks off to go to court to address domestic violence.

Note: You cannot take two weeks of unpaid bereavement time under the FBLA and then claim an additional two weeks under the workplace protections law described at the beginning of this question. The two weeks available under these sections of the law will be the same two weeks if you qualify under both.7

You can also use existing paid leave, including family, medical, sick, annual, personal, or similar leave, instead of taking the unpaid leave but you cannot be required to do so; it’s your choice whether to use paid leave or unpaid leave.8

1 820 ILCS § 180/20(a)(2)​
2 820 ILCS § 180/20(a)(3)​
3 820 ILCS §§ 154/10(a)(1)-(3); 180/20(a)(1)(F)-(H)
4 ​820 ILCS § 180/20(a)(4)
5 820 ILCS §§ 154/10(a), (b), (e); 154/5
6 820 ILCS § 180/20(a)(4)(B)
7 ​820 ILCS § 180/20(a)(4)(A)
8 820 ILCS § 180/25

What actions, specifically, can I use my time off from work to do?

Your employer must let you take time off from work to do the any of the following things, if they are related to domestic, sexual, or gender violence, or a “crime of violence” for you or a family/household member:

  • to get an order of protection;
  • to get medical help – for example, to see a doctor, mental health counselor, or health care professional, to take care of injuries or health problems caused by domestic, sexual, or gender violence;
  • to get legal help – for example, to go to court, prepare for court, testify in court, or to seek help from lawyers or legal counseling;
  • to seek domestic, sexual, or gender violence services – for example, going to a domestic violence shelter, domestic or sexual violence program or rape crisis center, etc.; 
  • to plan for your safety – for example, to participate in safety planning, temporarily or permanently relocate to other housing, or take other actions to increase the safety of you or your family/ household member from future domestic, sexual, or gender violence or ensure economic security;
  • to attend the funeral, memorial, wake, or similar ceremony of a family or household member who is killed in a crime of violence; 
  • to make arrangements related to the death of a family or household member who is killed in a crime of violence; or
  • to grieve the death of a family or household member who is killed in a crime of violence.1

1 See 820 ILCS § 180/20(a)

How much advance notice do I need to give my employer to take time off from work? And what proof do I need to provide?

You must give your employer at least 48 hours’ advance notice of your intention to take the leave, unless providing such notice is impossible. When an unscheduled absence occurs (one where you did not give advance notice), the employer cannot take any actions against you if, within a reasonable period after the absence, you provide the necessary documents.1

In terms of the proof that you need to give to your employer, you only have to provide proof (“certification”) if the employer asks you for it. You can satisfy this certification requirement by writing a sworn statement saying that:

In addition, if you have any of the following documents in your possession, then you need to give one of them, whichever one you prefer, to your employer:

  • documentation from a victim services organization, an attorney, a member of the clergy, or a medical or other professional from who you sought help from in addressing domestic, sexual, or gender violence, or a “crime of violence;”
  • a police or court record;
  • a death certificate, published obituary, or written verification of death, burial, or memorial services from a mortuary, funeral home, burial society, crematorium, religious institution, or government agency, documenting that a victim was killed in a crime of violence; or
  • other evidence.2

However, if you don’t have any of the above documents, that’s OK. The sworn statement is enough.2

Note: Whenever you ask for time off to deal with these issues, it might be a good idea to ask your employer in writing, and to keep a copy of the letter. This way, if the employer denies you the time off, you have some proof that you asked for it in case you decide to bring legal action against the employer for violating the law.

1 820 ILCS § 180/20(b)
2 820 ILCS § 180/20(c)

Can I ask for “accommodations” at work to keep me safe from domestic, sexual, or gender violence, or a "crime of violence"?

You may have the right to ask for “reasonable” changes at work that will keep you safe from actual or threatened domestic, sexual, or gender violence, or a “crime of violence” and your employer must keep your request confidential. For example, you can request a transfer, reassignment, or modified schedule, a changed telephone number or seating assignment, a lock, or other safety procedures.1

Your employer can deny your request for accommodations (changes) at work if your employer can show that the changes you are seeking are too hard for them to do. For example, if it would be too expensive, would cause other problems at work, or would not allow for work to get done in your department, then they can deny your request as being an “undue hardship.”2

You might want to consult with your local branch of the Illinois Human Rights Commission if you have any questions about your employer denying your request for accommodations at work.

Note: Although Illinois law does not require that you make the request for an accommodation in writing, it might be a good idea to do so. This way, you can be clear to your employer about what types of changes you need, and you have proof that you asked for the changes if your employer denies your request and you choose to pursue legal action against the employer. You might want to include copies of court records, police reports, or the same type of information that you would show to your employer if you were requesting time off from work for domestic, sexual, or gender violence issues.

1 820 ILCS § 180/30(a)(1)(C), (d)
2 820 ILCS § 180/30(b)(4)

What your employer can and cannot do

Is it legal for my employer to harass me or tell my co-workers if I take time off to deal with domestic, sexual, or gender violence, or a "crime of violence"?

Your employer cannot fire you, harass you, or punish you in any way just because you ask for and/or take this time off to deal with issues related to domestic, sexual, or gender violence, or a “crime of violence” or because you are a victim.1

Also, the law requires your employer to keep your situation confidential. For example, your employer cannot tell your co-workers, your clients, or other employers that you took time off to deal with violence. Your employer also cannot talk about or write about the reason for your time off. They must also keep private any documents that you give them that relate to your situation.2

1 820 ILCS § 180/30
2 820 ILCS § 180/20(d)

I got fired from my job after taking time off for domestic, sexual, or gender violence, or a "crime of violence." Is that legal?

The law says that your employer cannot fire you or punish you because you took off time from work to address issues related to domestic, sexual, or gender violence, or a “crime of violence.” They also cannot fire you or punish you because you asked for or were given “accommodations” at work to help you.1 However, your employer can still fire you or punish you for other valid reasons, such as budget cuts, not doing your job well, or reasons that have nothing to do with your situation. For example, if you took off from work to deal with violence-related issues and six months later, your company fired 200 workers based on budget cuts, you can be fired too.

Note: Sometimes, an employer will offer a fake reason for firing someone, to hide the real reason. If you have facts or evidence that: (1) your employer is not being truthful about why they fired you; and (2) that the real reason they fired you was because you took off time for violence-related issues, then you might want to contact an attorney who specializes in employment discrimination or contact the Illinois Human Rights Commission.

1 820 ILCS § 180/30