Significant Changes Coming

During this half-day seminar, hosted by the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, Jeff Risch provides the latest recap and summary of key statutory changes coming to Illinois on the topic of workplace harassment and discrimination.

Notable topics from the seminar include:

• Currently debated legislation that will change how Illinois employers manage harassment and discrimination issues under Illinois law;
• What requirements are needed to update training practices, key policies, personnel forms, severance agreements, nondisclosure and arbitration agreements;
• How (and if) employers will voluntarily resolve employment disputes;
• Clarify that is illegal to discriminate against an employee if they are perceived to be part of a protected class (i.e. gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity), even if they are not;
• Ways to expand the Victims Economic Security & Safety Act (VESSA) to allow victims of sexual harassment to take unpaid leave from work to seek medical help, legal assistance, counseling, safety planning and other assistance;
• Require employers to disclose the number of sexual harassment and discrimination settlements or actions against them to the Department of Human Rights;
• Require employers to annually train their employees on preventing sexual harassment;
• Expand Illinois harassment and discrimination law to ALL employers regardless of size; and
• How to protect independent contractors from harassment and discrimination