Today is a big day for workers in Illinois and Chicago! The Illinois minimum wage has increased for the second time since January and Chicago’s Fair Workweek Ordinance is also in effect beginning today. We hope that these changes will help provide financial stability to hard working employees throughout our city and state!

As a part of a multi year-plan to bring the minimum wage in Illinois to $15 per hour by 2025, today the Illinois minimum wage increases to $10.00 per hour. You can find more detailed information from the Illinois Department of Labor here.

Additionally, Chicago’s Fair Workweek Ordinance goes into effect today.  The Ordinance provides predictability in scheduling (and as a result, a bit more financial stability) to workers in industries which are prone to last minute shift changes.  For the fine print on  who the Ordinance protects and what protections it provides, check out the blog we posted here last year when the measure passed.

Hopefully, the increase in minimum wage and the Fair Workweek Ordinance will ease some of the burdens for Illinois employees whose previously unpredictable schedules and uneven paychecks have made it difficult to create and stick to a budget, arrange childcare or even make a doctor’s appointment. It feels like a long time coming and we still have some ways to go, but today we can celebrate a small victory for making Illinois a fair place to live and make a living.

Stay safe and be well!