The Essential Guide to Family & Medical Leave

310 | the essential guide to family and medical leave
Illinois
Small Necessities Law (820 Ill. Comp. Stat. § 147/1)
Covered Employers: Employers with at least 50 employees.
Eligible Employees: Employees who have worked for at least six consecutive
months immediately preceding the leave request, and for at least as many
hours per week, on average, as one-half of a full-time position.
Reasons for Leave: To attend school conferences or classroom activities relating
to their children if they cannot be rescheduled during nonwork hours.
Amount of Leave: Eight hours of unpaid leave in any school year, with no more
than four hours in one day.
Procedural Requirements
• Notice: Employee must ask for leave in writing at least seven days in advance.
In an emergency, no more than 24 hours’ notice may be required.
• Certification: Employee must provide verification (to be provided in
writing by the school) of the school visit to the employer within two
business days after taking leave.
• Paid Leave: Employees may not take this leave unless they have exhausted
their accrued vacation, personal leave, and any other type of time
off except for sick or disability leave. If employee takes unpaid leave,
employer must allow employee to make up the time, if employee requests
it and there is a reasonable opportunity to do so.
Domestic Violence Leave (820 Ill. Comp. Stat. § 180/1)
Covered Employers: Employers with at least 50 employees.
Eligible Employees: Any full-time or part-time employee who is a victim of
domestic or sexual violence or has a family or household member who is a
victim of domestic or sexual violence.
Reasons for Leave: Leave is allowed to:
• seek medical treatment
• obtain services from a victim services organization
• get counseling