This Labor Day, the Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL) is honoring the contributions of workers across the state and highlighting the Department’s
ongoing efforts to uphold workers’ rights, economic security, and safety. “On Labor Day IDOL reaffirms its commitment to workers across Illinois,” said IDOL Director Jane Flanagan. “From enforcing the minimum wage law and safeguarding children from dangerous work, to ensuring fair pay and promoting safe workplaces, our mission is clear: to protect and advance the rights of every worker in this state.”
The 2025 Labor Day Report outlines the progress IDOL has made over the past year, including:
– Protecting Paychecks: IDOL recovered almost $3 million dollars in back wage payments and secured nearly $5 million dollars in penalties from
employers who violated labor laws.
– Strengthening Worker Rights: Illinois’ minimum wage reached $15 per hour on January 1, 2025, and provided new protections for workers’ rights
to see and access their pay stubs.
– Protecting Children: IDOL and the Attorney General’s Office reached a landmark child labor settlement that addressed serious labor violations,
resulting in a $4.5 million agreement to compensate impacted workers and strengthen compliance.
– Pay Transparency: IDOL began enforcing the Pay Transparency Act that requires mid-size and large employers to include information about
anticipated compensation and benefits in job postings.
– Resolving Wage Claims: Through its newly launched Informal Resolution and Mediation Unit, IDOL resolved over 460 wage claims for individuals
owed small amounts of back wages.
– Promoting Workplace Safety: IDOL partnered with employers and unions on training and safety initiatives, including a major construction safety
partnership and new firefighter safety resources.
The 2025 Labor Day Report is available on the Department’s website. “At the Illinois Department of Labor, we are committed to protecting the safety and economic security of Illinois workers,” said Illinois Department of Labor Director Jane Flanagan. “At a time when federal labor enforcement has diminished and workers’ rights face new threats, the work we do every day to uphold Illinois workplace protections has never been more vital.”
“Every day, we see……roll back the protections and rights that working people in the labor movement have spent decades fighting for,” said IL AFL-CIO President Tim Drea. “In 2022, Illinois voters enshrined the Workers’ Rights Amendment into the Illinois Constitution. Today, we continue these efforts by putting workers’ first and telling the White House that all workers deserve a safe and fair workplace. We applaud Governor Pritzker, Senator Peters and House Assistant Majority Leader Evans for ensuring that Illinois workers continue to be protected in the workplace.”