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In Chicago, covered employers post schedules 14 days ahead. Most later changes by the employer carry predictability pay.

What do Chicago's Fair Workweek, minimum wage and paid leave ordinances require of employers, and what does Illinois add?

Verified on November 12, 2026 against the Municipal Code of Chicago, the Office of Labor Standards and the Illinois Compiled Statutes·What changed on this page

14days

before the first day of a new schedule, the Fair Workweek posting deadline1

$17.05

an hour, the city's minimum wage since July 1, 2026, for employers with 4 or more employees2

35hours

worked for each hour of paid leave and of paid sick leave, up to 40 hours of each in a 12-month period3

What do Chicago's labor ordinances require?

Chicago's Fair Workweek Ordinance covers employers primarily engaged in seven industries, building services among them, with 100 or more employees globally (250 for not-for-profits), 50 of them covered45. Covered employees work mostly in the city and in a covered industry, under a wage ceiling raised each year6.

Schedules are posted 14 days before they start1. After that deadline, most employer changes carry 1 hour of predictability pay per shift, or at least half the regular rate for hours cut with less than 24 hours' notice78.

The minimum wage is $17.05 for employers with 4 or more employees2. Every employee who works at least 80 hours within any 120-day period in the city earns paid leave and paid sick leave93.

This text does not constitute legal advice. Obligations vary by establishment and change over time. Confirm yours with the Chicago Office of Labor Standards, the Illinois Department of Labor or a qualified advisor.

Which dates changed the rules in Chicago?

  1. Schedules go out 14 days ahead

    For any new schedule beginning July 1, 2022 or later1.

  2. Paid leave and paid sick leave accrue

    From July 1, 2024 or the first day of employment, whichever is later10.

  3. Medium employers pay out unused paid leave

    Employers with 51 to 100 covered employees pay out all unused, accrued paid leave at separation1112.

  4. City minimum wage: $17.05

    For employers with 4 or more employees; tipped workers $12.96213.

Past or upcoming as of November 12, 2026.

What changes in the week in Chicago?

When you hire

Before or on the first day, the employer gives each covered employee a written good faith estimate of their days and hours for the first ninety days: the average weekly hours, whether on-call shifts are expected, and the days and times they can expect to work or not14.

When you build the schedule

The schedule is posted no later than 14 days before its first day, with the shifts and on-call status of every covered employee at the worksite1. Changes up to that deadline carry no penalty1.

A covered employee may decline hours less than 10 hours after the end of the previous day's shift, and a shift that begins less than 10 hours after it is paid at 1.25 times the regular rate for that shift15.

When the schedule changes

A covered employee may decline previously unscheduled hours added with less than 14 days' notice16. After the deadline, the employer pays 1 hour of predictability pay for each shift where it adds hours, changes the date or time with no loss of hours, or cuts or cancels with more than 24 hours' notice, and at least 50 percent of the regular rate for scheduled hours lost with less than 24 hours' notice7.

The employer amends the posted schedule and sends it to the employee in writing within 24 hours of a change17.

When you need more hours

Additional shifts go first to qualified existing covered employees, then to temporary or seasonal workers who have worked for the employer two or more weeks, and whenever practicable to part-time covered employees first18. The ordinance does not require scheduling hours paid at a premium rate18.

When someone calls in sick

An employee who works at least 80 hours for an employer within any 120-day period in the city is covered, and stays covered9. For every 35 hours worked, they accrue at least 1 hour of paid leave and 1 hour of paid sick leave, up to 40 hours of each per 12-month period unless the employer sets a higher limit3.

Paid sick leave must be usable no later than the 30th calendar day of employment, and paid leave no later than the 90th19. Up to 80 hours of paid sick leave and 16 of paid leave carry over19. The employer may not require the employee to find a replacement worker20.

In payroll

The city minimum wage is $17.05 an hour for employers with 4 or more employees, and $12.96 for tipped workers, with the employer making up any shortfall213. It rises each July 1 by the CPI or 2.5%, whichever is lower21. The ordinance skips the increase when the city's unemployment rate for the preceding year was 8.5 percent or more22. Work under City contracts or concessionaire agreements is paid at least $18.5023.

Illinois overtime also applies: hours over 40 in a workweek at not less than 1.5 times the regular rate24.

At separation, employers pay out unused, accrued paid leave; small employers, with 50 or fewer covered employees, do not, and unused paid sick leave is not paid out1112.

With a union agreement

Fair Workweek requirements can be waived in a bona fide collective bargaining agreement after July 1, 2020, only explicitly and in clear and unambiguous terms25.

The paid leave chapter never applies to construction employees covered by a bona fide collective bargaining agreement26. Agreements in force on July 1, 2024 stand; after that date its requirements can be waived only explicitly, in clear and unambiguous terms26.

Watch for

  • No predictability pay for changes caused by threats, utility failures, acts of nature, war, strikes or pandemics; mutually agreed shift trades; changes agreed in writing; changes the employee requests in writing; and cuts for documented disciplinary reasons8.
  • Events and self-scheduling. Nor is it owed when a banquet event is scheduled or rescheduled for reasons outside the employer's control, grows by more than 20% or is newly scheduled within 48 hours8. The same goes for ticketed events changed by circumstances outside the employer's control, and for employees who self-schedule8. Manufacturing and health care have their own exceptions8.
  • Self-scheduling and ticketed events. Employees who self-schedule, or work in a venue that regularly hosts ticketed events, are outside the posting rule27.
  • Restaurants. A restaurant is covered only if it has, globally, at least 30 locations and 250 employees4.
  • Agency workers. A worker placed by a day and temporary labor agency counts once on assignment to the employer for 420 hours within 18 months6.
  • Notices. Every employer posts the city's notices at each Chicago facility, and gives them with the first paycheck and annually with a paycheck within 30 days of July 12829.
When you sort the roster by payChicago Fair Workweek Threshold 2026: $33.85/$64,945.55Chicago Fair Workweek salary threshold, effective July 1, 2026: $33.85 an hour or $64,945.55 a year. Check who's covered and which City document to trust.ReadWhen a plant or warehouse changes a shiftChicago Fair Workweek 2026: Manufacturing & WarehouseManufacturing and warehouse services are 2 of 7 industries Chicago's Fair Workweek Ordinance covers in 2026: coverage tests, exceptions, what's owed.ReadWhen you build the seven daysIllinois One Day Rest in Seven Act: the day of rest, meal periods and exemptionsIllinois requires 24 hours of rest in a row in every 7-day period and a 20-minute meal period on 7 1/2 continuous hours. Guards are exempt from the 24 hours.See the rule

What does Illinois add in Chicago?

State law applies in the city as everywhere in Illinois. Covered employees get at least 24 consecutive hours of rest in every consecutive seven-day period, and a meal period of at least 20 minutes on 7 1/2 continuous hours of work3031. Watchmen and security guards are exempt from the day of rest32.

Illinois One Day Rest in Seven Act: the day of rest, meal periods and exemptions

The state minimum wage is $15 an hour for employees 18 and older; the city's $17.05 is higher33222.

The state's Paid Leave for All Workers Act does not apply to employers covered by a local paid leave ordinance in effect on its effective date34. An employer such an ordinance does not require to give paid leave is still subject to the Act, and a local ordinance enacted or amended later must give benefits, rights and remedies greater than or equal to the Act's34. The Department of Labor says the Act does not apply to workers and employers in Chicago, whose ordinance passed before January 1, 202435.

Illinois labor laws: what changes the schedule and the pay

What does an employer have to be able to show?

The Fair Workweek Ordinance lists the records to keep for at least three years, or for the duration of any claim, whichever is longer36:

  • Each covered employee's name, hours worked and pay rate36.
  • Good faith estimates, the initial posted schedule and every later change to it36.
  • Consent to work hours where the ordinance requires it, and offers of hours to existing staff with the responses36.

A violation carries a fine of $300.00 to $500.00 per offense; each affected employee and each day is a separate offense37.

What do the ordinances leave open?

A security or janitorial contractor at a client's building. The ordinance counts “janitorial services, building maintenance services, and security services” as building services5, and covers an employer primarily engaged in a covered industry that meets the size test4. A covered employee also “spends the majority of their time at work for that employer while physically present within the City of Chicago” and “performs the majority of their work in a Covered Industry for that employer”6. How that applies to a contractor whose staff work at many client sites, inside and outside the city, is a question for your counsel.

Chicago's paid leave and the state's. The state Act does not apply to employers covered by a local ordinance in effect on its effective date, under the conditions § 15(p) sets34. The Department of Labor says it does not apply in Chicago35, and Chicago's accrual started on July 1, 202410. How the two apply to a given employer is a question for your counsel.

What do the ordinances say exactly?

and shall post the Work Schedule no later than 14 days before the first day of any new Work Schedule beginning July 1, 2022, […] The written Work Schedule shall include the shifts and on-call status of all current Covered Employees at that worksite. […] (2) An Employer may change a Covered Employee's Work Schedule after it is posted and/or transmitted, up to the deadline articulated in subsection (b)(1) without penalty. After that deadline, such changes shall be subject to the notice and compensation requirements set forth in this chapter.
Mun. Code of Chicago § 6-110-040(b)(1)-(2) · official text · source 1
Mun. Code of Chicago § 6‑110‑050(b) predictability pay
(b) Alterations. Subject to the exceptions in subsection (d) of this section, if an Employer alters a Covered Employee's Work Schedule after the deadline articulated in Section 6-110-040(b)(1), in addition to the regular rate of pay, the Covered Employee shall receive: (1) One hour of Predictability Pay for each shift in which the Employer: (A) adds hours of work. (B) changes the date or time of a work shift with no loss of hours. (C) with more than 24 hours' notice, cancels or subtracts hours from a regular or on-call shift. (2) No less than 50 percent of the Covered Employee's regular rate of pay for any scheduled hours the Covered Employee does not work because the Employer, with less than 24 hours' notice subtracts hours from a regular or on-call shift or cancels a regular or on-call shift, including while the Covered Employee is working on a shift.
Mun. Code of Chicago § 6-110-050(b) · official text · source 7
Mun. Code of Chicago § 6‑110‑070 the right to rest
(a) A Covered Employee has the right to decline Work Schedule hours that are less than 10 hours after the end of the previous day's shift. (b) When a Covered Employee works a shift that begins less than 10 hours after the end of the previous day's shift, the Employer shall pay the Covered Employee at a rate of 1.25 times the Covered Employee's regular rate of pay for that shift.
Mun. Code of Chicago § 6-110-070 · official text · source 15
Mun. Code of Chicago § 6‑110‑020 who is a covered employer
"Employer" means a person who meets all of the following: (a) employs (i) globally, 100 or more employees, or in the case of not-for-profit corporations, 250 or more employees, (ii) 50 of whom are Covered Employees; and (b) is primarily engaged in a Covered Industry. […] "Restaurant" means any business licensed to serve food in the City of Chicago which also has, globally, at least 30 locations and at least 250 employees in the aggregate.
Mun. Code of Chicago § 6-110-020 ("Employer", "Restaurant") · official text · source 4
Mun. Code of Chicago § 6‑110‑020 the seven covered industries
"Building Services" means the care and maintenance of property, including, but not limited to, janitorial services, building maintenance services, and security services. […] "Covered Industry" means: (1) Building Services; (2) Healthcare; (3) Hotels; (4) Manufacturing; (5) Restaurants; (6) Retail; and (7) Warehouse Services.
Mun. Code of Chicago § 6-110-020 ("Covered Industry", "Building Services") · official text · source 5
Mun. Code of Chicago § 6‑110‑060 offering hours to existing employees
(a) Subject to the limitations in this chapter, when an Employer needs to fill additional shifts of work, the Employer shall first offer additional shifts of work to existing Covered Employees if the Covered Employees are qualified to do the additional work, as determined by the Employer. If offered shifts are not accepted by Covered Employees, the shifts shall be offered to temporary or seasonal workers who have worked on behalf of the Employer for two or more weeks. […] (2) whenever practicable, the Employer shall first offer those hours to part-time Covered Employees. […] (c) This section shall not be construed to require any employer to schedule employees to work hours required to be paid at a premium rate.
Mun. Code of Chicago § 6-110-060(a), (b)(2), (c) · official text · source 18
Mun. Code of Chicago § 6‑110‑050(d) when predictability pay is not owed
(d) Exceptions. The requirements of this section shall not apply in the following circumstances: (1) A Work Schedule change because: (A) of threats to Employers, Covered Employees, or property, or when civil authorities recommend that work not begin or continue; (B) public utilities fail to supply electricity, water, or gas, or the sewer system fails to serve the location of work; (C) of acts of nature (including, but not limited to, flood, earthquake, tornado, or blizzard); (D) war, civil unrest, strikes, threats to public safety, or pandemics. (2) A Work Schedule change that is the result of a mutually agreed upon shift trade or coverage arrangement between Covered Employees, subject to any existing Employer policy regarding required conditions for Covered Employees to exchange shifts. (3) A Work Schedule change that is mutually agreed to by the Covered Employee and Employer and is confirmed in writing. (4) A Covered Employee requests a shift change, that is confirmed in writing, including but not limited to use of sick leave, vacation leave, or other policies offered by the Employer. (5) An Employer subtracts hours from a Work Schedule for disciplinary reasons for just cause, provided the Employer documents the incident leading to the Covered Employee's discipline in writing. (6) A Banquet Event is scheduled or rescheduled under circumstances that are outside the Employer's control, the attendee counts increase by more than 20%, or a new banquet event is scheduled within 48 hours of the event occurring, after the Employer provides the posted Work Schedule. (7) When, in Manufacturing, events outside of the control of the manufacturer result in a change in the need for Covered Employees, including, but not limited to, when a customer requests the manufacturer to delay production or there is a delay in the receipt of raw materials or component parts needed for production. (8) With regard to Healthcare Employers, in (i) any declared national, State, or municipal disaster or other catastrophic event, or any implementation of an Employer's disaster plan, or incident causing a hospital to activate its Emergency Operations Plan, that will substantially affect or increase the need for healthcare services; (ii) any circumstance in which patient care needs require specialized skills through the completion of a procedure; or (iii) any unexpected substantial increase in demand for healthcare due to large public events, severe weather, violence, or other circumstances beyond the Employer's control. (9) A Ticketed Event is cancelled, scheduled, rescheduled, postponed, delayed, increases in expected attendance by 20% or more, or increases in duration, due to circumstances that are outside the Employer's control. Additional hours due to a change in a Ticketed Event's duration that fall within this exemption will also be fully exempt from this section. (10) When Covered Employees Self-schedule.
Mun. Code of Chicago § 6-110-050(d)(1)-(10) · official text · source 8
Mun. Code of Chicago § 6‑110‑160 records
Each Employer shall maintain for at least three years, or for the duration of any claim, civil action, or investigation pending pursuant to this chapter, whichever is longer, a record of each Covered Employee's name, hours worked, pay rate, and records necessary to demonstrate compliance with this chapter, including but not limited to good faith estimates of Work Schedules, initial posted schedule and all subsequent changes to that schedule, consent to work hours where such consent is required by this chapter, and documentation of offers of hours of work to existing staff and responses to such offers.
Mun. Code of Chicago § 6-110-160 · official text · source 36
Mun. Code of Chicago § 6‑105‑020 the minimum wage and its yearly increase
(a) Except as provided in Section 6-105-030 of this Code, every Employer shall pay to each Covered Employee for each hour of work performed for that Employer, no less than the greater of: (1) the minimum hourly Wage set by the Minimum Wage Law; (2) the minimum hourly Wage set by the Fair Labor Standards Act; or (3) the City's minimum hourly Wage. […] (C) Beginning on July 1, 2022, and on every July 1 thereafter, the City's minimum hourly Wage from the previous year, increased in proportion to the increase, if any, in the CPI, provided, however, that if the CPI increases by more than 2.5 percent in any year, the City minimum Wage increase shall be capped at 2.5 percent, and that there shall be no City minimum Wage increase in any year when the unemployment rate in Chicago for the preceding year, as calculated by the Illinois Department of Employment Security, was equal to or greater than 8.5 percent.
Mun. Code of Chicago § 6-105-020(a), (b)(1)(C) · official text · source 22
Mun. Code of Chicago § 6‑130‑030(b) paid leave accrual
For every 35 hours worked after a Covered Employee’s Paid Leave and Paid Sick Leave begins to accrue, the Covered Employee shall accrue at least one hour of Paid Leave and one hour of Paid Sick Leave. […] (2) For each Covered Employee, there shall be a cap of 40 hours of Paid Leave and 40 hours of Paid Sick Leave accrued per 12-month period, unless the Employer sets a higher limit.
Mun. Code of Chicago § 6-130-030(b) · official text · source 3
Mun. Code of Chicago § 6‑130‑030(c)‑(e) carryover and use
(1) At the end of a Covered Employee’s 12-month accrual period, the Covered Employee shall be allowed to carry over to the following 12-month period up to 16 hours of Paid Leave and 80 hours of Paid Sick Leave. […] Employers shall allow Covered Employees to use accrued Paid Sick Leave no later than on the 30th calendar day following the commencement of the Covered Employee’s employment. […] Employers shall allow Covered Employees to use accrued Paid Leave no later than on the 90th calendar day following the commencement of the Covered Employee’s employment. […] provided that the Employer may set a reasonable minimum increment requirement not to exceed four hours of Paid Leave per day or two hours of Paid Sick Leave per day.
Mun. Code of Chicago § 6-130-030(c)(1), (d), (e) · official text · source 19

How does a system hold the hour and rest rules?

In Chicago, the city's rest rule and the state's day of rest land on the same schedule and the same timecard. This is how WorkAxle holds them:

  1. Daily and weekly hours, consecutive days and rest between shifts are set up as rules, each with its start date.
  2. While the schedule is built, the platform flags each shift that breaks one of those rules and names the rule. The supervisor decides.
  3. Each clock-in and clock-out is recorded with its time, and at the close of the period hours come out classified by your rules, ready for your payroll system.

The supervisor keeps the last word.

What can you check this week?

  • Count your employees globally against 100, or 250 for a not-for-profit, and your covered employees against 50; for a restaurant, count locations against 30 and employees against 2504.
  • Check when last month's schedules went out against the 14 days in § 6-110-0401.
  • Pull every change made inside those 14 days and mark which carried predictability pay17.
  • Find every shift that began less than 10 hours after the end of the previous day's shift and check it was paid at 1.25 times the regular rate15.
  • Check each employee's accrual in the 12-month period: 1 hour of each for every 35 hours worked, up to 40 hours of each unless you set a higher limit, plus what carried over319.

This text does not constitute legal advice. Obligations vary by establishment and change over time. Confirm yours with the Chicago Office of Labor Standards, the Illinois Department of Labor or a qualified advisor.

Frequently asked questions

Who is covered by Chicago's Fair Workweek Ordinance?

Employers primarily engaged in building services, health care, hotels, manufacturing, restaurants, retail or warehouse services, with 100 or more employees globally (250 for not-for-profits), 50 of them covered45. A restaurant is covered only with, globally, at least 30 locations and 250 employees4. A covered employee spends the majority of their working time for the employer in the city and does the majority of their work in a covered industry6. They also earn up to a wage ceiling the City publishes, which the ordinance raises each year with the CPI386.

How far in advance must schedules be posted in Chicago?

Under the Fair Workweek Ordinance, covered employers post schedules no later than 14 days before the first day of a new schedule, since July 1, 20221.

What is predictability pay in Chicago?

Under the Fair Workweek Ordinance, covered employers pay 1 hour of predictability pay for each shift where, after the posting deadline, they add hours, change the date or time with no loss of hours, or cut or cancel with more than 24 hours' notice7. Scheduled hours lost with less than 24 hours' notice are paid at least 50 percent of the regular rate7. The ordinance lists exceptions8.

Is there a clopening rule in Chicago?

Yes. A covered employee may decline hours less than 10 hours after the end of the previous day's shift, and a shift that begins less than 10 hours after it is paid at 1.25 times the regular rate for that shift15.

Are security guards covered by Chicago's Fair Workweek Ordinance?

The ordinance names security services as part of building services, one of its seven covered industries5. Coverage also depends on the employer's size and the employee's pay and time in the city4638.

What is the minimum wage in Chicago?

$17.05 an hour since July 1, 2026, for employers with 4 or more employees, and $12.96 for tipped workers213. Work under City contracts or concessionaire agreements is paid at least $18.5023.

How much paid leave does Chicago require?

1 hour of paid leave and 1 hour of paid sick leave for every 35 hours worked, up to 40 hours of each per 12-month period, for employees who work at least 80 hours within any 120-day period in the city39.

How long must Chicago employers keep Fair Workweek records?

At least three years, or for the duration of any claim, civil action or investigation, whichever is longer36.

https://www.workaxle.com/compliance-center/united-states/illinois/chicago

Sources

  1. Mun. Code of Chicago § 6-110-040(b)(1)-(2). “and shall post the Work Schedule no later than 14 days before the first day of any new Work Schedule beginning July 1, 2022, […] The written Work Schedule shall include the shifts and on-call status of all current Covered Employees at that worksite. […] (2) An Employer may change a Covered Employee's Work Schedule after it is posted and/or transmitted, up to the deadline articulated in subsection (b)(1) without penalty. After that deadline, such changes shall be subject to the notice and compensation requirements set forth in this chapter.”https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/chicago/latest/chicago_il/0-0-0-2639967 · Municipal Code of Chicago, as published by the City's code publisher (American Legal Publishing) · Verified on November 12, 2026
  2. Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection, Office of Labor Standards, Minimum Wage page. “As of July 1, 2026, the minimum wage in Chicago is $17.05 per hour for employers with 4 or more employees.”https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/bacp/supp_info/minimumwageinformation.html · Guidance published by the agency that enforces the rule · Verified on November 12, 2026
  3. Mun. Code of Chicago § 6-130-030(b). “For every 35 hours worked after a Covered Employee’s Paid Leave and Paid Sick Leave begins to accrue, the Covered Employee shall accrue at least one hour of Paid Leave and one hour of Paid Sick Leave. […] (2) For each Covered Employee, there shall be a cap of 40 hours of Paid Leave and 40 hours of Paid Sick Leave accrued per 12-month period, unless the Employer sets a higher limit.”https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/chicago/latest/chicago_il/0-0-0-2700824 · Municipal Code of Chicago, as published by the City's code publisher (American Legal Publishing) · Verified on November 12, 2026
  4. Mun. Code of Chicago § 6-110-020 ("Employer", "Restaurant"). “"Employer" means a person who meets all of the following: (a) employs (i) globally, 100 or more employees, or in the case of not-for-profit corporations, 250 or more employees, (ii) 50 of whom are Covered Employees; and (b) is primarily engaged in a Covered Industry. […] "Restaurant" means any business licensed to serve food in the City of Chicago which also has, globally, at least 30 locations and at least 250 employees in the aggregate.”https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/chicago/latest/chicago_il/0-0-0-2639928 · Municipal Code of Chicago, as published by the City's code publisher (American Legal Publishing) · Verified on November 12, 2026
  5. Mun. Code of Chicago § 6-110-020 ("Covered Industry", "Building Services"). “"Building Services" means the care and maintenance of property, including, but not limited to, janitorial services, building maintenance services, and security services. […] "Covered Industry" means: (1) Building Services; (2) Healthcare; (3) Hotels; (4) Manufacturing; (5) Restaurants; (6) Retail; and (7) Warehouse Services.”https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/chicago/latest/chicago_il/0-0-0-2639928 · Municipal Code of Chicago, as published by the City's code publisher (American Legal Publishing) · Verified on November 12, 2026
  6. Mun. Code of Chicago § 6-110-020 ("Covered Employee"). “"Covered Employee" means an individual who meets all of the following (a) through (d): (a) performs work for an employer in the capacity of (i) an employee, as distinguished from a contractor, determined pursuant to Internal Revenue Service guidelines, or (ii) a worker for a day and temporary labor service agency, as defined in the Day and Temporary Labor Services Act, 820 ILCS 175/5, who has been on assignment to the employer for 420 hours within an 18-month period; (b) spends the majority of their time at work for that employer while physically' present within the City of Chicago; (c) performs the majority of their work in a Covered Industry for that employer; and […] The stated wage amounts in this definition shall be increased yearly from the previous year in proportion to an increase in the CPI.”https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/chicago/latest/chicago_il/0-0-0-2639928 · Municipal Code of Chicago, as published by the City's code publisher (American Legal Publishing) · Verified on November 12, 2026
  7. Mun. Code of Chicago § 6-110-050(b). “(b) Alterations. Subject to the exceptions in subsection (d) of this section, if an Employer alters a Covered Employee's Work Schedule after the deadline articulated in Section 6-110-040(b)(1), in addition to the regular rate of pay, the Covered Employee shall receive: (1) One hour of Predictability Pay for each shift in which the Employer: (A) adds hours of work. (B) changes the date or time of a work shift with no loss of hours. (C) with more than 24 hours' notice, cancels or subtracts hours from a regular or on-call shift. (2) No less than 50 percent of the Covered Employee's regular rate of pay for any scheduled hours the Covered Employee does not work because the Employer, with less than 24 hours' notice subtracts hours from a regular or on-call shift or cancels a regular or on-call shift, including while the Covered Employee is working on a shift.”https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/chicago/latest/chicago_il/0-0-0-2639980 · Municipal Code of Chicago, as published by the City's code publisher (American Legal Publishing) · Verified on November 12, 2026
  8. Mun. Code of Chicago § 6-110-050(d)(1)-(10). “(d) Exceptions. The requirements of this section shall not apply in the following circumstances: (1) A Work Schedule change because: (A) of threats to Employers, Covered Employees, or property, or when civil authorities recommend that work not begin or continue; (B) public utilities fail to supply electricity, water, or gas, or the sewer system fails to serve the location of work; (C) of acts of nature (including, but not limited to, flood, earthquake, tornado, or blizzard); (D) war, civil unrest, strikes, threats to public safety, or pandemics. (2) A Work Schedule change that is the result of a mutually agreed upon shift trade or coverage arrangement between Covered Employees, subject to any existing Employer policy regarding required conditions for Covered Employees to exchange shifts. (3) A Work Schedule change that is mutually agreed to by the Covered Employee and Employer and is confirmed in writing. (4) A Covered Employee requests a shift change, that is confirmed in writing, including but not limited to use of sick leave, vacation leave, or other policies offered by the Employer. (5) An Employer subtracts hours from a Work Schedule for disciplinary reasons for just cause, provided the Employer documents the incident leading to the Covered Employee's discipline in writing. (6) A Banquet Event is scheduled or rescheduled under circumstances that are outside the Employer's control, the attendee counts increase by more than 20%, or a new banquet event is scheduled within 48 hours of the event occurring, after the Employer provides the posted Work Schedule. (7) When, in Manufacturing, events outside of the control of the manufacturer result in a change in the need for Covered Employees, including, but not limited to, when a customer requests the manufacturer to delay production or there is a delay in the receipt of raw materials or component parts needed for production. (8) With regard to Healthcare Employers, in (i) any declared national, State, or municipal disaster or other catastrophic event, or any implementation of an Employer's disaster plan, or incident causing a hospital to activate its Emergency Operations Plan, that will substantially affect or increase the need for healthcare services; (ii) any circumstance in which patient care needs require specialized skills through the completion of a procedure; or (iii) any unexpected substantial increase in demand for healthcare due to large public events, severe weather, violence, or other circumstances beyond the Employer's control. (9) A Ticketed Event is cancelled, scheduled, rescheduled, postponed, delayed, increases in expected attendance by 20% or more, or increases in duration, due to circumstances that are outside the Employer's control. Additional hours due to a change in a Ticketed Event's duration that fall within this exemption will also be fully exempt from this section. (10) When Covered Employees Self-schedule.”https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/chicago/latest/chicago_il/0-0-0-2639980 · Municipal Code of Chicago, as published by the City's code publisher (American Legal Publishing) · Verified on November 12, 2026
  9. Mun. Code of Chicago § 6-130-010 ("Covered Employee", "Employer"). ““Covered Employee” means an Employee who works at least 80 hours for an Employer within any 120-day period while physically present within the geographic boundaries of the City. Once the threshold is reached, the Employee will remain a Covered Employee for the remainder of the time that the Employee works for the Employer. […] “Employer” means a person who gainfully employs at least one Employee.”https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/chicago/latest/chicago_il/0-0-0-2700855 · Municipal Code of Chicago, as published by the City's code publisher (American Legal Publishing) · Verified on November 12, 2026
  10. Mun. Code of Chicago § 6-130-030(b)(1). “(1) Starting on July 1, 2024, or on the first calendar day of a Covered Employee’s employment, whichever is later, a Covered Employee’s Paid Leave and Paid Sick Leave shall begin to accrue.”https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/chicago/latest/chicago_il/0-0-0-2700824 · Municipal Code of Chicago, as published by the City's code publisher (American Legal Publishing) · Verified on November 12, 2026
  11. Mun. Code of Chicago § 6-130-020(a)(4). “the Employer shall pay the monetary equivalent of all unused, accrued Paid Leave as part of the Covered Employee’s final compensation at the Covered Employee’s final rate of pay and no employment contract […] However, a Small Employer shall not be required to pay out unused Paid Leave upon termination, […] On and after July 1, 2025, Medium Employers shall be required to pay the monetary equivalent of all unused, accrued Paid Leave as part of the Covered Employee’s final compensation at the Covered Employee’s final rate of pay. […] the Covered Employee’s Employer is not required to provide financial or other reimbursement for unused Paid Sick Leave.”https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/chicago/latest/chicago_il/0-0-0-2700837 · Municipal Code of Chicago, as published by the City's code publisher (American Legal Publishing) · Verified on November 12, 2026
  12. Mun. Code of Chicago § 6-130-010 ("Medium Employer", "Small Employer"). ““Medium Employer” means an Employer with between 51 and 100 Covered Employees, inclusive. […] “Small Employer” means an Employer with 50 or fewer Covered Employees.”https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/chicago/latest/chicago_il/0-0-0-2700855 · Municipal Code of Chicago, as published by the City's code publisher (American Legal Publishing) · Verified on November 12, 2026
  13. Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection, Office of Labor Standards, Minimum Wage page. “Tipped workers (workers who receive tips as part of their wage, like restaurant servers) have a minimum wage of $12.96 for employers with 4 or more employees. If a tipped worker’s wages plus tips do not equal at least the full minimum wage, the employer must make up the difference.”https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/bacp/supp_info/minimumwageinformation.html · Guidance published by the agency that enforces the rule · Verified on November 12, 2026
  14. Mun. Code of Chicago § 6-110-040(a)(1). “(1) Prior to or on commencement of employment, an Employer shall provide every Covered Employee with a good faith estimate in writing of the Covered Employee's projected days and hours of work for the first ninety days of employment, including: […] (A) The average number of weekly work hours the Covered Employee can expect to work each week; (B) Whether the Covered Employee can expect to work any on-call shifts; (C) A subset of days and a subset of times or shifts that the Covered Employee can expect to work, or days of the week and times or shifts on which the Covered Employee will not be scheduled to work.”https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/chicago/latest/chicago_il/0-0-0-2639967 · Municipal Code of Chicago, as published by the City's code publisher (American Legal Publishing) · Verified on November 12, 2026
  15. Mun. Code of Chicago § 6-110-070. “(a) A Covered Employee has the right to decline Work Schedule hours that are less than 10 hours after the end of the previous day's shift. (b) When a Covered Employee works a shift that begins less than 10 hours after the end of the previous day's shift, the Employer shall pay the Covered Employee at a rate of 1.25 times the Covered Employee's regular rate of pay for that shift.”https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/chicago/latest/chicago_il/0-0-0-2640012 · Municipal Code of Chicago, as published by the City's code publisher (American Legal Publishing) · Verified on November 12, 2026
  16. Mun. Code of Chicago § 6-110-050(a). “(a) Right to decline. Subject to the exceptions in subsection (d) of this section, a Covered Employee has the right to decline any previously unscheduled hours that the Employer adds to the Covered Employee's schedule, and for which the Covered Employee has been provided advance notice of less than 10 days before the first day of any new schedule from July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2022, and less than 14 days before the first day of any new schedule beginning July 1, 2022.”https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/chicago/latest/chicago_il/0-0-0-2639980 · Municipal Code of Chicago, as published by the City's code publisher (American Legal Publishing) · Verified on November 12, 2026
  17. Mun. Code of Chicago § 6-110-050(c). “(c) The Employer shall amend the posted Work Schedule and transmit it to the Covered Employee in writing within 24 hours of a schedule change.”https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/chicago/latest/chicago_il/0-0-0-2639980 · Municipal Code of Chicago, as published by the City's code publisher (American Legal Publishing) · Verified on November 12, 2026
  18. Mun. Code of Chicago § 6-110-060(a), (b)(2), (c). “(a) Subject to the limitations in this chapter, when an Employer needs to fill additional shifts of work, the Employer shall first offer additional shifts of work to existing Covered Employees if the Covered Employees are qualified to do the additional work, as determined by the Employer. If offered shifts are not accepted by Covered Employees, the shifts shall be offered to temporary or seasonal workers who have worked on behalf of the Employer for two or more weeks. […] (2) whenever practicable, the Employer shall first offer those hours to part-time Covered Employees. […] (c) This section shall not be construed to require any employer to schedule employees to work hours required to be paid at a premium rate.”https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/chicago/latest/chicago_il/0-0-0-2640005 · Municipal Code of Chicago, as published by the City's code publisher (American Legal Publishing) · Verified on November 12, 2026
  19. Mun. Code of Chicago § 6-130-030(c)(1), (d), (e). “(1) At the end of a Covered Employee’s 12-month accrual period, the Covered Employee shall be allowed to carry over to the following 12-month period up to 16 hours of Paid Leave and 80 hours of Paid Sick Leave. […] Employers shall allow Covered Employees to use accrued Paid Sick Leave no later than on the 30th calendar day following the commencement of the Covered Employee’s employment. […] Employers shall allow Covered Employees to use accrued Paid Leave no later than on the 90th calendar day following the commencement of the Covered Employee’s employment. […] provided that the Employer may set a reasonable minimum increment requirement not to exceed four hours of Paid Leave per day or two hours of Paid Sick Leave per day.”https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/chicago/latest/chicago_il/0-0-0-2700824 · Municipal Code of Chicago, as published by the City's code publisher (American Legal Publishing) · Verified on November 12, 2026
  20. Mun. Code of Chicago § 6-130-020(a)(6), (c). “(6) No Employer shall interfere with, deny, or change an Employee’s work days or hours to avoid providing eligible Paid Leave or Paid Sick Leave to a Covered Employee. […] (c) An Employer shall not, as a condition of a Covered Employee taking Paid Sick Leave or Paid Leave, require that the Covered Employee search for or find a replacement worker to cover the hours during which the Covered Employee is on leave.”https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/chicago/latest/chicago_il/0-0-0-2700837 · Municipal Code of Chicago, as published by the City's code publisher (American Legal Publishing) · Verified on November 12, 2026
  21. Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection, Office of Labor Standards, Minimum Wage page. “Every July 1, Chicago’s minimum wage increases per the Minimum Wage Ordinance. The Chicago minimum wage applies to any employer with 4 or more employees. The minimum wage increases annually according to the Consumer Price Index or 2.5%, whichever is lower.”https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/bacp/supp_info/minimumwageinformation.html · Guidance published by the agency that enforces the rule · Verified on November 12, 2026
  22. Mun. Code of Chicago § 6-105-020(a), (b)(1)(C). “(a) Except as provided in Section 6-105-030 of this Code, every Employer shall pay to each Covered Employee for each hour of work performed for that Employer, no less than the greater of: (1) the minimum hourly Wage set by the Minimum Wage Law; (2) the minimum hourly Wage set by the Fair Labor Standards Act; or (3) the City's minimum hourly Wage. […] (C) Beginning on July 1, 2022, and on every July 1 thereafter, the City's minimum hourly Wage from the previous year, increased in proportion to the increase, if any, in the CPI, provided, however, that if the CPI increases by more than 2.5 percent in any year, the City minimum Wage increase shall be capped at 2.5 percent, and that there shall be no City minimum Wage increase in any year when the unemployment rate in Chicago for the preceding year, as calculated by the Illinois Department of Employment Security, was equal to or greater than 8.5 percent.”https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/chicago/latest/chicago_il/0-0-0-2639811 · Municipal Code of Chicago, as published by the City's code publisher (American Legal Publishing) · Verified on November 12, 2026
  23. Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection, Office of Labor Standards, Minimum Wage page. “As of July 1, 2026, the Minimum Wage to be paid under City contracts or concessionaire agreements is $18.50 per hour.”https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/bacp/supp_info/minimumwageinformation.html · Guidance published by the agency that enforces the rule · Verified on November 12, 2026
  24. 820 ILCS 105/4a(1). “(1) Except as otherwise provided in this Section, no employer shall employ any of his employees for a workweek of more than 40 hours unless such employee receives compensation for his employment in excess of the hours above specified at a rate not less than 1 1/2 times the regular rate at which he is employed.”https://www.ilga.gov/Legislation/ILCS/Articles?ActID=2400&ChapterID=68 · Illinois Compiled Statutes, from the General Assembly's official site (ilga.gov) · Verified on November 12, 2026
  25. Mun. Code of Chicago § 6-110-030. “After July 1, 2020, the requirements of this chapter may be waived in a bona fide collective bargaining agreement, but only if the waiver is set forth explicitly in such agreement in clear and unambiguous terms.”https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/chicago/latest/chicago_il/0-0-0-2639964 · Municipal Code of Chicago, as published by the City's code publisher (American Legal Publishing) · Verified on November 12, 2026
  26. Mun. Code of Chicago § 6-130-040(a). “In no event shall this chapter apply to any Employee working in the construction industry who is covered by a bona fide collective bargaining agreement. Nothing in this chapter shall be deemed to affect the validity or change the terms of bona fide collective bargaining agreements in force on July 1, 2024. After that date, requirements of this chapter may be waived in a bona fide collective bargaining agreement, but only if the waiver is set forth explicitly in such agreement in clear and unambiguous terms.”https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/chicago/latest/chicago_il/0-0-0-2700791 · Municipal Code of Chicago, as published by the City's code publisher (American Legal Publishing) · Verified on November 12, 2026
  27. Mun. Code of Chicago § 6-110-040(b)(3). “(3) Covered Employees who Self-schedule or work in a venue that regularly hosts Ticketed Events shall not be bound by this subsection (b), nor shall their Employers to the extent that the Covered Employee Self-schedules or works in a venue that regularly hosts Ticketed Events.”https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/chicago/latest/chicago_il/0-0-0-2639967 · Municipal Code of Chicago, as published by the City's code publisher (American Legal Publishing) · Verified on November 12, 2026
  28. Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection, Office of Labor Standards, Minimum Wage page (posting and paycheck notices). “Every employer must post in a conspicuous place at each facility located in the City of Chicago a notice advising the Covered Employee of: Current minimum wage Fair Workweek (if applicable) Paid Leave and Paid Sick Leave Wage Theft […] With the first paycheck issued to a Covered Employee, and annually with a paycheck issued within 30 days of July 1st, every employer must provide a notice advising the Covered Employee of: Current minimum wage Fair Workweek (if applicable) Paid Leave and Paid Sick Leave”https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/bacp/supp_info/minimumwageinformation.html · Guidance published by the agency that enforces the rule · Verified on November 12, 2026
  29. Mun. Code of Chicago § 6-110-090(a)-(b). “(a) Every Employer shall post in a conspicuous place in each facility where any Covered Employee works that is located within the geographic boundaries of the City a notice advising the Covered Employees of their rights under this chapter. […] (b) Every Employer shall provide with the first paycheck subject to this chapter a notice advising the Covered Employee of their rights under this chapter.”https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/chicago/latest/chicago_il/0-0-0-2640019 · Municipal Code of Chicago, as published by the City's code publisher (American Legal Publishing) · Verified on November 12, 2026
  30. 820 ILCS 140/2(a). “(a) Every employer shall allow every employee except those specified in this Section at least twenty-four consecutive hours of rest in every consecutive seven-day period in addition to the regular period of rest allowed at the close of each working day.”https://www.ilga.gov/Legislation/ILCS/Articles?ActID=2407&ChapterID=68 · Statute text, from the official publication of the code · Verified on November 12, 2026
  31. 820 ILCS 140/3. “Every employer shall permit its employees who are to work for 7 1/2 continuous hours, except those specified in this Section, at least 20 minutes for a meal period beginning no later than 5 hours after the start of the work period. An employee who works in excess of 7 1/2 continuous hours shall be entitled to an additional 20-minute meal period for every additional 4 1/2 continuous hours worked.”https://www.ilga.gov/Legislation/ILCS/Articles?ActID=2407&ChapterID=68 · Statute text, from the official publication of the code · Verified on November 12, 2026
  32. 820 ILCS 140/2(b)(5). “(b) Subsection (a) does not apply to the following: […] (5) Employees employed as watchmen or security guards;”https://www.ilga.gov/Legislation/ILCS/Articles?ActID=2407&ChapterID=68 · Statute text, from the official publication of the code · Verified on November 12, 2026
  33. 820 ILCS 105/4(a)(1). “and on and after January 1, 2025, every employer shall pay to each of his or her employees who is 18 years of age or older in every occupation wages of not less than $15 per hour.”https://www.ilga.gov/Legislation/ILCS/Articles?ActID=2400&ChapterID=68 · Illinois Compiled Statutes, from the General Assembly's official site (ilga.gov) · Verified on November 12, 2026
  34. 820 ILCS 192/15(p). “(p) The provisions of this Act shall not apply to any employer that is covered by a municipal or county ordinance that is in effect on the effective date of this Act that requires employers to give any form of paid leave to their employees, including paid sick leave or paid leave. Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection, any employer that is not required to provide paid leave to its employees, including paid sick leave or paid leave, under a municipal or county ordinance that is in effect on the effective date of this Act shall be subject to the provisions of this Act if the employer would be required to provide paid leave under this Act to its employees. Any local ordinance that provides paid leave, including paid sick leave or paid leave, enacted or amended after the effective date of this Act must comply with the requirements of this Act or provide benefits, rights, and remedies that are greater than or equal to the benefits, rights, and remedies afforded under this Act. An employer in a municipality or county that enacts or amends a local ordinance that provides paid leave, including paid sick leave or paid leave, after the effective date of this Act shall only comply with the local ordinance or ordinances so long as the benefits, rights, and remedies are greater than or equal to the benefits, rights, and remedies afforded under this Act.”https://www.ilga.gov/Legislation/ILCS/Articles?ActID=4351&ChapterID=68 · Illinois Compiled Statutes, from the General Assembly's official site (ilga.gov) · Verified on November 12, 2026
  35. Illinois Department of Labor, Paid Leave for All Workers Act FAQ (Chicago and Cook County). “No. The City of Chicago passed the Paid Leave and Paid Sick and Safe Leave Ordinance prior to January 1, 2024, and would cover employees and employers in Chicago. Cook County passed the Paid Leave Ordinance prior to January 1, 2024, and covers employees and employers in Cook County.”https://labor.illinois.gov/faqs/paidleavefaq.html · Guidance published by the agency that enforces the rule · Verified on November 12, 2026
  36. Mun. Code of Chicago § 6-110-160. “Each Employer shall maintain for at least three years, or for the duration of any claim, civil action, or investigation pending pursuant to this chapter, whichever is longer, a record of each Covered Employee's name, hours worked, pay rate, and records necessary to demonstrate compliance with this chapter, including but not limited to good faith estimates of Work Schedules, initial posted schedule and all subsequent changes to that schedule, consent to work hours where such consent is required by this chapter, and documentation of offers of hours of work to existing staff and responses to such offers.”https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/chicago/latest/chicago_il/0-0-0-2640045 · Municipal Code of Chicago, as published by the City's code publisher (American Legal Publishing) · Verified on November 12, 2026
  37. Mun. Code of Chicago § 6-110-130. “Any Employer who violates this chapter or any rule promulgated thereunder shall be subject to a fine of not less than $300.00 nor more than $500.00 for each offense. Each Covered Employee whose rights are affected shall constitute a separate and distinct offense to which a separate fine shall apply. Each day that a violation occurs shall constitute a separate and distinct offense to which a separate fine shall apply. Any agreement between the Employee and Employer that would violate this chapter is no defense to an enforcement action.”https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/chicago/latest/chicago_il/0-0-0-2640034 · Municipal Code of Chicago, as published by the City's code publisher (American Legal Publishing) · Verified on November 12, 2026
  38. Chicago Mun. Code ch. 6-110 (BACP Office of Labor Standards). “Employees are covered by the ordinance if they work in one of seven “covered” industries (Building Services, Healthcare, Hotels, Manufacturing, Restaurants, Retail, and Warehouse Services), earn less than or equal to $33.85/hour or earn less than or equal to $64,945.55/year, and the employer has at least 100 employees globally (250 employees and 30 locations for a restaurant).”https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/bacp/supp_info/fairworkweek.html · Guidance published by the agency that enforces the rule · Verified on November 12, 2026

What changed on this page

  • Page created. Verified against the Municipal Code of Chicago (the City's code publisher), the Office of Labor Standards and the Illinois Compiled Statutes.

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