Chicago Adopts Wage Theft Prevention Act Ordinance with Employee Notice Requirement

Chicago Adopts Wage Theft Prevention Act Ordinance with Employee Notice Requirement

The Chicago City Council recently adopted an ordinance adding penalties and other enforcement for short-pay (partial payment rather than full amount due) and other wage theft practices. The wage theft protection ordinance also adds a new hire and annual notice requirement of minimum wage, sick pay, and anti-trafficking rights. The notice is indeed the pre-existing poster that employers already needed to display in the workplace, but they now need to individually distribute this information as a notice to employees as well. These components of the Ordinance take effect on July 5, 2021. The rest of the wage theft prevention act ordinance, such as changed expanded reasons for taking sick/safe time under Chicago’s pre-existing sick leave ordinance (more information about this below), take effect August 1, 2021.